Identification of Nor-β-Lapachone Derivatives as Potential Antibacterial Compounds against Enterococcus faecalis Clinical Strain

A broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy has led to medical complications and emergence of multiresistant bacteria including Enterococcus faecalis. In this study, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated the antibacterial activity of 13 nor-beta-lapachone derivatives against a drug resistant E. faecalis strain. Two triazole substituted compounds (1e = 8 mu g/ml and 1c = 16 mu g/ml) and the non-substituted derivative (1a = 8 mu g/ml) were promising compared to chloramphenicol (12 mu g/ml), an antibiotic currently available in the market. We also performed a structure-activity relationship analysis using a molecular modeling approach that pointed the low HOMO energy values; HOMO density concentrated on the nor-beta-lapachone ring, lipophilicity, solubility and number HBA as important stereoelectronic features for the antibacterial profile. In addition the triazole compounds presented low theoretical toxicity profile, and drug-score higher than commercial antibiotics also fulfilling the Lipinski Rule of Five, which pointed them as promising candidates for further studies in infections caused by multiresistant E. faecalis hospital strains.