This paper presents the discovery and development of antifungal agents against Fusarium oxysporum (Fox), a devastating plant pathogen. Diethyl 2-((arylamino)methylene)malonates (DAMMs) were formed as side-products during the synthesis of polysubstituted-2-pyridones through a three-component domino reaction and seemed to have antifungal activity against Fox. DAMMs are typically employed as intermediates or precursors to produce further bioactive compounds, but they have never been examined as antifungals. To confirm this latter characteristic, we employed a single-step procedure (i.e., the first step of the Gould-Jacobs reaction) to prepare five DAMMs (74–96% yields) which were subsequently evaluated against Fox in terms of their abilities to inhibit mycelial growth. The antifungal outcome was promising (0.013 µM < IC50 < 35 µM), involving fungistatic or fungicide effects. This small group of active compounds showed differences in antifungal activity, constituting the basis of further studies to expand the DAMM chemical space and look for improved antifungal activity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.