N-[4-(1,1 '-biphenylyl)methyl]-4-(4-thiomorpholinylmethyl) benzenamines, anew class of synthetic antituberculosis agents active against Mycobacterium avium

Various N-derivatives of 4-(4-thiomorpholinyl)aniline and 4-(4-thiomorpholi nylmethyl)aniline were synthesized and tested for in vitro antibacterial ac tivities against Mycobacterium avium CIP 103317 and other mycobacteria incl uding M. tuberculosis CIP 103471. Appropriate substituents were introduced at the nitrogen of aniline portion in order to exploit their potential anti mycobacterial activities. Only derivatives with the biphenylylmethyl group bound to the 4-(4-thiomorpholinylmethyl)aniline moiety were found to posses s appreciable antibacterial activities against atypical mycobacteria and M. tuberculosis. Several compounds (7c-g and 7j) were two and sixteen times m ore potent than azithromycin and isoniazid, respectively, in the in vitro a ssays against M. avium.