Structure to antimycotic activity of benzylid enechromanones against 6 miconazole-resistant pathogenic yeasts in vitro

Fifty-five new compounds belonging to the naturally occurring benzylidene chromanones were synthesised and their activity against the important human pathogenic yeasts Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida spp., Trichosporon cutaneum and Torulopsisgh brata was assessed in vitro using a microtitre technique. These yeasts had already been found resistant to miconazole, at a minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] of 100 micro g/ml or more The structural differences between the molecules of the new compounds, such as their three dimensional shape, the presence of oxygen or sulphur hetero-atoms, or a cyclic bridge, were studied to establish models for their structure-to-antimycotic activity. Twenty-eight of the compounds were found active against the tested yeasts and had an MIC of 6 micro g/ml. There was a heterogeneity in the response of the yeasts to the active compounds, which could be linked to structural factors in C. neoformans