Unveiling the Antimycobacterial Potential of Novel 4-Alkoxyquinolines: Insights into Selectivity, Mechanism of Action, and In Vivo Exposure

This work presents a comprehensive investigation into the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a novel series of 4-alkoxyquinolines as potential antimycobacterial agents. The design approach, which combined molecular simplification and chain extension, resulted in compounds with potent and selective activity against both drug-susceptible and multidrug-resistant strains. The lead molecule, targeting the cytochrome complex, exhibited favorable kinetic solubility and remarkable chemical stability under acidic conditions. Despite ADME evaluations showing low permeability and high metabolism in rat microsomes, the lead compound exhibited bacteriostatic activity in a murine macrophage model of TB infection and demonstrated promising exposure following gavage in mice, with an AUC of 127.5 ± 5.7 μM h. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, a simplified structure from 2-(quinolin-4-yloxy)acetamides has shown such potential. These findings suggest a new avenue for exploring this chemical class as a source of antituberculosis drug candidates.