DESIGN, SYNTHESIS, AND ANTIBACTERIAL EVALUATION OF NOVEL CURCUMIN ANALOGUES VIA MICROWAVE-ASSISTED CONDENSATION

Curcumin, the principal bioactive component of turmeric, is well-documented for its broad spectrum of pharmacological properties, including antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Nevertheless, its therapeutic use is restricted due to low solubility and limited bioavailability. In this study, eight novel curcumin derivatives (1A–8A) were synthesized using a microwave-assisted organic synthesis (MAOS) approach to enhance pharmacological efficacy. The synthetic strategy involved initial acetylation of curcumin followed by Biginelli-type cyclocondensation to incorporate heterocycles. All synthesized analogues were characterized using FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, and LC-MS. Antibacterial activity was assessed against Escherichia coli via broth dilution methods, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined. Notably, Compounds 4A (9 micrograms per milliliter), 2A (10 micrograms per milliliter), and 8A (11 micrograms permilliter) displayed superior antibacterial activity compared to both curcumin (14 µg/mL) and the standard antibiotic ampicillin (16 µg/mL). These results indicate that strategic structural modifications to the curcumin scaffold, particularly through heterocyclic incorporation, can yield derivatives with significantly enhanced antibacterial potential. This work highlights the promise of curcumin analogues as potent antibacterial agents and supports further pharmacological investigation.