TB Research

Investigation of Potent Anti-Agents Derived from Pyridine Derivatives Targeting the Enoyl Acyl Carrier Protein Reductase (InhA): Design, Synthesis, and Computational Analysis.

Ahmed Sabt, Małgorzata Korycka-Machala, Asmaa F Kassem, Ninh The Son, Nguyen Xuan Ha, Anna Brzostek, Mohamed G Thabit, Malwina Kawka, et al. (12 authors)

Drug design, development and therapy · 2026-01

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis is a very complicated disease because of how the TB bacteria behaves in the human body. This makes it hard to diagnose, treat, and control. Because of this, the World Health Organization's latest reports show that there are still very few good treatment options for drug-resistant TB.

METHODS: A novel series of pyridine-derived compounds were rationally designed and synthesized to evaluate their potential as antitubercular agents. These derivatives were specifically developed to target the enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA), and molecular docking studies were performed to predict binding modes with InhA.

RESULTS: All compounds exhibited notable antitubercular activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 μg mLagainstH37Rv.

DISCUSSION: Derivativewas the most potent compound (MIC: 0.5 μg mL), inhibiting intracellular bacteria, disrupting biofilms, and potently targeting InhA (IC: 0.36 μM). Its pyridine-thiazole scaffold was key for stable binding, as shown by molecular modeling.

MeSH terms

  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Pyridines
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Drug Design
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Oxidoreductases
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Molecular Structure
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Humans
  • Biofilms