Antimycobacterial activity of spirooxindolo-pyrrolidine, pyrrolizine and pyrrolothiazole hybrids obtained by a three-component regio- and stereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition

Spirooxindolo-pyrrolidine, pyrrolizine and pyrrolothiazole hybrid compounds were obtained in excellent yields from the regio- and stereoselective reaction between β-nitrostyrenes and non-stabilized azomethine ylides, generated in situ from isatin and phenylglycine/proline/thiaproline. These compounds were evaluated for their in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosisH37Rv (MTB). Eleven compounds were more active than pyrazinamide and one of them, namely 6′-(3-nitrophenyl)-7′-nitro-3′,6′,7′,7a′-tetrahydro-1′H-spiro-[indoline-3,5′-pyrrolo-[1,2-c]thiazol]-2-one, displayed a 7.6 μM MIC value, which represents a potency similar to that of the first-line anti-TB drug ethambutol and 6.7 times higher than that of pyrazinamide.