Selective one-pot multicomponent synthesis and anti-tubercular evaluation of 5-(aryl/cyclohexylsulfanyl)-2-alkoxy-4,6-diarylnicotinonitriles.

A new set of highly substituted pyridine derivatives has been synthesized by a product selective four component reaction of aryl aldehyde, malononitrile and 2-aryl/cyclohexylsulfanyl-1-aryl-1-ethanones in presence of sodium hydroxide in methyl/ethyl alcohol. Among the compounds, 4,6-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-5-[(4-chlorophenyl)sulfanyl]-2-methoxynicotinonitrile (4n) inhibited Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 3.1 microM and was more potent than ethambutol and pyrazinamide.