ANTIFUNGAL AND HEMOLYTIC ACTIVITIES OF NEW SERIES OF NAPHTHOQUINONES DERIVATIVES

Naphthoquinones (NPQs) are compounds, which have diverse pharmacological properties including antiviral, antiinflammatory, antipyretic and anticancer activity. In this study, the antifungal and hemolytic activities of new series of NPQs derivatives were studied in vitro. The antifungal activity of these compounds was determined using the poisoned food technique against five filamentous fungi and hemolytic activity against human red blood cells (RBCs) by measuring the hemoglobin releasing. Compound 1a inhibit the mycelial growth of the all molds. This results is high than the structural analogue, lawsone. The compounds 1b and 1a were the less toxic against the RBCs. The di-ketone function in the position 2 and 4 of NPQs, amine group and electronegativity of substituants in the position C-2 and C-3 are necessary for the activity of NPQs. This suggests the involvement of the redox cycle in the center of theirs mechanism action. No correlation between the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity was possible.