Amberlite IRA 402(OH)-mediated synthesis and evaluation of fused tricyclic quinolinium salts as potent non-detergent type microbicidal spermicides

Abstract

Fused tricyclic oxazaquinolinium salts were synthesized using Amberlite IRA 402(OH) in water and assessed for their sperm-immobilizing efficacy in vitro by modified Sander–Cramer test followed by double fluoroprobe staining of rat sperm. Out of 11 derivatives 3 showed potent spermicidal effect. The mode of spermicidal action was assessed by (a) Hypoosmotic swelling tests, (b) Lipid peroxidation studies, and (c) scanning electron microscopy. Antimicrobial efficacies of the potent derivatives, assessed by disc diffusion as well as by agar and broth dilution methods using human isolates of bacteria and fungi, revealed their moderate antimicrobial potential. The compounds, found to be nontoxic to rabbit erythrocytes by haemolytic assay, may be exploited as microbicidal spermicides.