title: Synthesis and antifungal activity of functionalized 2,3-spirostane isomers.
abstract: Invasive fungal infections are a major complication for individuals with compromised immune systems. One of the most significant challenges in the treatment of invasive fungal infections is the increased resistance of many organisms to widely used antifungals, making the development of novel antifungal agents essential. Many naturally occurring products have been found to be effective antimicrobial agents. In particular, saponins with spirostane glycosidic moieties-isolated from plant or marine species-have been shown to possess a range of antimicrobial properties. In this report, we outline a novel approach to the synthesis of a number of functionalized spirostane molecules that can be further used as building blocks for novel spirostane-linked glycosides and present results from the in vitro screenings of the antifungal potential of each derivative against four fungal species, including Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida glabrata, and the filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA.
authors.forename: Sunil Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Upadhyay
authors.forename: Clinton C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Creech
authors.forename: Katharine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Bowdy
authors.forename: Edwin D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Branko S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Jursic
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Neumann
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000187:drug effects; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects; D041221:Candida glabrata / Q000187:drug effects; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000187:drug effects; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects*; D007536:Isomerism; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015394:Molecular Structure; D013150:Spirostans / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D013150:Spirostans