Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of imidazole-triazole hybrids as dual antimicrobial and antioxidant agents: experimental and in silico studies

Background Considering the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance, novel imidazole-triazole hybrids were synthesized as promising antimicrobial and antioxidant candidates based on the pharmacological relevance of imidazole and triazole moieties.Materials and methods The imidazole-triazole hybrid compounds were synthesized via Kornblum Oxidation, condensation reactions, and azide-alkyne cycloaddition, and their antimicrobial activity was assessed using a serial dilution assay.Results Compound 5s showed strong antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, and Rhizoctonia solani with MIC (Minimum inhibitory concentration) values of 0.0107, 0.0215, 0.0215, and 0.0423 μmol/mL, respectively, while 5o exhibited broad antibacterial activity and 5m demonstrated potent antifungal efficacy against most of the tested pathogens. Overall, the hybrids showed stronger activity against plant pathogens than animal pathogens, and 5b displayed significant antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, with an IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) value of 0.0137 μmol/mL. Molecular docking showed that compound 5s strongly binds to sterol 14-α-demethylase and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) gyrase through hydrophobic, π–π stacking, and halogen interactions, indicating its potential as a promising antimicrobial lead.Conclusion Among the synthesized hybrids, 5m, 5o, 5r, and 5s exhibited notable antimicrobial activity, suggesting their potential as promising leads for further optimization as novel antimicrobial agents.