Beyond paraquats: dialkyl 3,3'- and 3,4'-bipyridinium amphiphiles as antibacterial agents

Dialkyl 4,4'-bipyridinium compounds, known as 'paraquats' (PQs), have a long history of use as herbicides, as redox indicators, and more recently as potent antibacterial agents. However, due to their ability to form reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo, PQs are also known to be toxic. We proposed that altering the electrochemical properties of PQ, specifically by preparing isomeric bipyridinium structures with 3,3'- and 3,4'-substitution of the nitrogen heteroatoms on the biaryl core, would maintain antibacterial activity, yet decrease toxicity. We have thus prepared a series of 17 amphiphiles, dubbed 'metaquat' (MQ) and 'parametaquat' (PMQ), respectively, and investigated their antibacterial and electrochemical properties. Optimal inhibition of bacterial growth was observed in symmetric, biscationic structures; minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values measured as low as 0.5 μM against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria for the compound PMQ-11,11. Electrochemical analysis demonstrated the redox properties of the dialkyl 3,3'- and 3,4'-bipyridinium amphiphiles to be distinct from those of the 4,4'-bipyridinium isomer. Thus MQ and PMQ amphiphiles maintain the strong antibacterial activity of the PQ isomers, but show promise for reduced ROS toxicity.