Novel 3-benzyl-2,6-diarylpiperidin-4-one derivatives: syntheses, characterization, and antimicrobial profile

The study was aimed at the syntheses and evaluation of a series of novel 3-benzyl-2,6-diarylpiperidine-4-ones. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and mass spectral analyses. These compounds were screened for their inhibiting potential against various bacterial and fungal strains. The antimicrobial activity was performed against four Gram positive bacteria ( S. aureus, B. subtilis, B. pumilus, and M. luteus ), three Gram negative bacteria ( P. aeruginosa, P. fluorescens , and E. coli ), and two fungal strains ( A. niger and P. chrysogenum ) by cup-plate method and tube assay method. The results reveal that some of these compounds exhibited remarkable activity against the selected bacterial and fungal strains, with MIC values as low as 50 μg/mL. Interestingly, all the compounds exhibited better antifungal activity than antibacterial activity. Thus, it can be concluded that 3-benzyl-2,6-diarylpiperidine-4-ones may exhibit potent antifungal activity.