Structure–activity relationships of pyrrole amidine antiviral antibiotics III: Preparation of distamycin and congocidine derivatives based on 2,5-disubstituted pyrroles

Abstract

Isomers of distamycin A and tripyrrole congocidine containing 2,5-disubstituted pyrroles were synthesized along with distamycin and congocidine homologs containing a single pyrrole ring. Selected compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity and antiviral activity. All of the tripyrrole derivatives tested in this series were nontoxic but were less active than distamycin A. The monopyrrole derivative, N-methyl-5-nitropyrrole-2-carboxamido-β-propionamidine hydrochloride, was nontoxic and was almost as active antivirally as distamycin A.