Discovery of novel halogenated 8-hydroxyquinoline-based anti-MRSA agents: In vitro and QSAR studies

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection has been considered to be one of global health problems due to limited classes of effective antimicrobial drugs. Herein, 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) and its derivatives (1-7) were investigated for their anti-MRSA and antioxidant activities. Cloxyquin (2), a halogenated 8HQ, exerted the highest antimicrobial activity (MIC₅₀  ≤ 5.57 μM) with high safety index, whereas an amino-derivative 7 showed the strongest antioxidant activity. Additionally, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study demonstrated that mass, polarizability, topological charge, and van der Waals volume are essential properties governing the anti-MRSA activity. Taken together, cloxyquin was highlighted as a promising compound for further development as a novel anti-MRSA agent. QSAR findings would also benefit for further rational design of novel 8HQ-based compounds to combat the MRSA resistance.