Exploring ferrocenyl derivatives of sulfa-drugs as potential antimalarial and anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis agents

A series of new ferrocenyl sulfonamide derivatives ( C1 - C5 ) were synthesized from ferrocene carboxylic acid. The complexes were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activities against Plasmodium falciparum and Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strains. They demonstrated moderate activities against the chloroquine-sensitive (NF54) strain of Plasmodium falciparum , with complex C2 being the most active, displaying an IC 50 value of 3.715 μM. Furthermore, the complexes were non-cytotoxic towards the human embryonic kidney and normal prostate cells, indicating their selectivity towards parasitic cells. The complexes also exhibited moderate activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis mc 2 155 , with an increase in activity observed against the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain. Among the complexes, C3 was the most active, displaying a MIC range of 31.73–15.86 μM. Moreover, all the complexes showed 10-fold greater potency than Isoniazid. • New ferrocenyl sulfonamides complexes with dual antimicrobial activity. • The complexes were characterized using conventional techniques. • Selective antiplasmodial activity, non-cytotoxic to human cells. • Potent antitubercular activity for some complexes.