Claramines: A New Class Of Broad‐Spectrum Antimicrobial Agents With Bimodal Activity

The emergence of multidrug‐resistant bacteria and pathogens has created an urgent need for the development of new antibiotics. Herein we report our investigations into the broad‐spectrum activity of an easily prepared water‐soluble polyaminosterol compound, namely claramine A1, against both drug‐sensitive and drug‐resistant Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacterial strains. We also report its peculiar mechanism of action, which differs from that of all the other well‐known classes of antibiotics, toward Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria. Given their low cytotoxicity, this class of compounds based on claramine A1 could constitute an effective response to combat the emergence of multidrug‐resistant bacteria and nosocomial diseases. A new modus operandi: The water‐soluble polyaminosterol, namely claramine A1, was synthesized, and its broad spectrum of activity against both drug‐sensitive and drug‐resistant bacterial strains was investigated. The unique mechanisms of action toward Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria were fully investigated, suggesting that this compound class could be one of the most effective and appropriate responses against the emergence of multidrug‐resistant bacterial infections.