A series of novel 1,3-dimethylisocyanurates has been synthesized as potential inhibitors of β-ketoacyl synthase in mycobacteria. Most of the 25 compounds described and tested for their activity against M.tuberculosis have a bacteriostatic effect, comparable and even higher that of first-line antituberculosis drugs. These compounds are nontoxic, species-specific, exhibiting no activity against other bacterial species.

Reactions of pyrimidinophanes with two 6-methylthiocytosine and one 5(6)-alkyluracil moieties bridged with each other by polymethylene spacers with methyl or nonyl p-toluenesulfonate, p-toluenesulfonic acid, methanesulfonate and trifluorosulfonate afforded amphiphilic macrocyclic bis-p-toluene-, methane- and trifluorosulfonates. Despite the presence of several reaction centers in the initial pyrimidinophane molecules, protonation and methylation occurred only at the N(1) atom (with quaternization) of the 6-methylthiocytosine moieties. The bacteriostatic and fungistatic activity of the products was estimated. Macrocyclic tosylates exhibit a remarkable selectivity towards Staphylococcus aureus, with MIC values comparable with a reference drug. Bacteriostatic activity of the amphiphilic pyrimidinophanes depends on the size of the macrocycles, and the highest activity corresponds to definite lengths of polymethylene bridges. Besides, the antimicrobial activity of the screened pyrimidine derivatives depends on their topology. While macrocyclic tosylates are more active against bacteria than against fungi, acyclic tosylate with the same structural fragments shows a dramatical decrease of MIC towards mold and yeast with respect to the corresponding macrocycle. It is found that macrocyclic and acyclic tosylates in high dilutions decrease the extracellular lipase activity.

The reactions of 1,3-bis(alpha,omega-bromoalkyl)-6-methyluracils with 1,3-bis(alpha,omega-ethylaminoalkyl)-6-methyluracils or 1,3-bis(bromopentyl)thymine with butylamine afforded pyrimidinophanes containing one or two uracil units and nitrogen atoms in bridging polymethylene chains. In some cases individual geometric isomers of pyrimidinophanes differing in the mutual arrangement of the carbonyl and methyl groups at different pyrimidine rings were isolated. Quaternization of the bridging nitrogen atom with o-nitrobenzyl bromide, benzyl bromide, n-decyl bromide gave rise to water-soluble pyrimidinophanes which were evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activity. The arrangement of the carbonyl groups in macrocycles doesn't affect the activity. Antibacterial and antifungal activity of pyrimidinophanes increases with the increase of polymethylene N((pyr))-N-chain length and dramatically increases upon the introduction of n-decyl substituent at nitrogen atoms in spacers. Pyrimidinophanes with 5 and 6 methylene groups in N((pyr))-N-chain and n-decyl substituent showed significant bacteriostatic, fungistatic, bactericidal, fungicidal activity which comparable with standard antibacterial and antifungal drugs. Acyclic counterpart demonstrated the highest activity against fungi. Toxicity of more effective pyrimidinophanes was determined for mice and Daphnia magna Straus.