title: Quaternary ammonium salts and their antimicrobial potential: targets or nonspecific interactions?
abstract: For more than 50 years dequalinium chloride has been used successfully as an antiseptic drug and disinfectant, particularly for clinical purposes. Given the success of dequalinium chloride, several series of mono- and bisquaternary ammonium compounds have been designed and reported to have improved antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, many of them exhibit high activity against mycobacteria and protozoa, especially against plasmodia. This review discusses the structure-activity relationships and the modes of action of the various series of (bis)quaternary ammonium compounds.
authors: Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Maximilian
authors: M
authors: Tischer
authors: Gabriele
authors: G
authors: Pradel
authors: Knut
authors: K
authors: Ohlsen
authors: Ulrike
authors: U
authors: Holzgrabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000187:drug effects*; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012492:Salts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D012492:Salts