Exploring the Antimicrobial Potential of Pyrimidine and Hydrazone Derivatives: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Abstract: Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections have become a major cause of clinical mortality in the twenty-first century, prompting significant efforts to address this issue. The discovery of new antimicrobial compounds and the strategic use of antibacterial drugs with various structures and mechanisms are crucial in combating bacterial resistance. Currently, pyrimidine-containing agents are at the forefront of new antibacterial drug development. Due to their effective activities and diverse mechanisms of action, many pyrimidine-containing heterocyclic compounds have attracted considerable scientific interest. The pyrimidine structure is a vital component of numerous endogenous substances, allowing pyrimidine derivatives to interact with genetic materials, enzymes, and other cellular biopolymers. Researchers have focused on discovering and optimizing pyrimidine derivatives, leading to the identification of many novel compounds with promising profiles. This review summarizes the therapeutic potential of pyrimidine compounds for antimicrobial applications over the past decade, discussing the relationships between the structures of modified pyrimidines and their antimicrobial activity.

Hydrazide-hydrazone derivatives, found in many bioactive molecules, exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including antibacterial, antitubercular, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antiviral, and antiprotozoal effects. Consequently, medicinal chemists synthesize various hydrazide-hydrazones and evaluate their biological activities. Among these, antimicrobial activity is the most commonly reported in scientific literature. This review focuses on the research findings from the last six years (2010–2016) on the antimicrobial activity of hydrazide-hydrazone derivatives, providing a useful guide for developing new hydrazide-hydrazones as potential antimicrobial agents.