Synthesis, anti-HIV and antitubercular activities of nelfinavir diester derivatives

Nelfinavir diesters were prepared by reacting nelfinavir with two molar amount of an appropriate substituted aromatic/aliphatic acid in the presence of dicylohexyl carbodiimide as the carboxyl group activator and 4-dimethylamino pyridine as catalyst. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory,effects,on the replication of HIV-1 (IIIB) in MT-4 cells by MTT assay method and antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by agar dilution method. Compound 3f emerged as the most potent anti-HIV agent with EC50 Of 0.043 mu M and CC50 more than > 10 mu M and was more potent than parent nelfinavir (EC50 of 0.060 mu M) and also showed antimycobacterial activity (M1C 8.49 mu M). (c) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.