Synthesis and in vitro anticytomegalovirus activity of 5-hydroxyalkylamino-1,3-oxazoles derivatives

A series of derivatives of 5-hydroxyalkylamino-1,3-oxazoles were synthesized. Among these derivatives, 5 compounds have been evaluated for their activities against a normal laboratory human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) strain, AD169, in human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells. Bioassays showed that among these, 2 compounds containing a remainder of glucamine exhibited moderate antiviral activity (compounds 9 and 15, EC50 = 5.42 µM, CC50 > 150 µM, SI50 > 28 and EC50 = 4.91 µM, CC50 > 150 µM, SI50 > 31, respectively). The difference between these compounds is that the first contains a phtalimide radical at position 4 and phosphoryl at position 5, whereas the latter contains a phenyl radical and a cyano group in the corresponding positions. However, they were considerably less active than the control drug, ganciclovir (EC50 = 0.32 µM, CC50 > 150 µM and SI50 > 476), in this assay. These and previously obtained data allow us to consider 1,3-oxazole as a promising backbone for the synthesis of new compounds with anti-HCMV activity.