<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><!DOCTYPE article  PUBLIC "-//NLM//DTD Journal Publishing DTD v3.0 20080202//EN" "http://dtd.nlm.nih.gov/publishing/3.0/journalpublishing3.dtd"><article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" dtd-version="3.0" xml:lang="en" article-type="research article"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">ABC</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title>Advances in Biological Chemistry</journal-title></journal-title-group><issn pub-type="epub">2162-2183</issn><publisher><publisher-name>Scientific Research Publishing</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.4236/abc.2021.114012</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">ABC-111544</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Articles</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="Discipline-v2"><subject>Chemistry&amp;Materials Science</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title>
 
 
  Design, Synthesis and &lt;i&gt;in Vitro&lt;/i&gt; Antibacterial Activity of 2-thiomethyl-benzimidazole Derivatives
 
</article-title></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Ablo</surname><given-names>Evrard</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Coulibali</surname><given-names>Siomenan</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Camara</surname><given-names>Tchambaga Etienne</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Toure</surname><given-names>Daouda</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2"><sup>2</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Coulibaly</surname><given-names>Souleymane</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Sissouma</surname><given-names>Drissa</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Adjou</surname><given-names>Ané</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref></contrib></contrib-group><aff id="aff2"><addr-line>Département de Biologie, UFR des Sciences Biologiques, Université Peleforo Gon Coulibaly, Korhogo, C&amp;amp;ocirc;te d’Ivoire</addr-line></aff><aff id="aff1"><addr-line>Laboratoire de Constitution et Réaction de la Matière, UFR Sciences des Structures de la Matière et Technologie, Université Félix Houphou&amp;amp;euml;t Boigny de Cocody, Abidjan, C&amp;amp;ocirc;te d’Ivoire</addr-line></aff><pub-date pub-type="epub"><day>22</day><month>07</month><year>2021</year></pub-date><volume>11</volume><issue>04</issue><fpage>165</fpage><lpage>177</lpage><history><date date-type="received"><day>28,</day>	<month>July</month>	<year>2021</year></date><date date-type="rev-recd"><day>24,</day>	<month>August</month>	<year>2021</year>	</date><date date-type="accepted"><day>27,</day>	<month>August</month>	<year>2021</year></date></history><permissions><copyright-statement>&#169; Copyright  2014 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. </copyright-statement><copyright-year>2014</copyright-year><license><license-p>This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</license-p></license></permissions><abstract><p>
 
 
  A series of novel substituted benzimidazole 
  <b>(7a</b>
  <b> </b>
  <b>-</b>
  <b> </b>
  <b>n)</b>
   derivatives w
  ere
   synthesized and characterized by <sup>1</sup>H, <sup>13</sup>C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra and High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS). The substitution w
  as
   done in position -1 and -2 by appropriate groups. These compounds are obtained by N-alkylation reaction with thiomethyl-1H-benzimidazole intermediates <b>(5a</b>
  <b> </b>
  <b>-</b>
  <b> </b>
  <b>g)</b>
  . Design of intermediates <b>(5a</b>
  <b> </b>
  <b>-</b>
  <b> </b>
  <b>g)</b>
   was made by condensation reaction between 2-methylbenzimidazole thiourunium salt <b>(3)</b> and functionalized halides <b>(4)</b> in the presence of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Among the twenty-one compounds synthesized, ten were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity on three bacterial strains namely: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. Only E. coli ATTC 25922 was susceptible to the synthesized derivatives <b>5g</b>, <b>7f</b> and <b>7h</b> with a significant antibacterial activity (CMI 
  is 
  between 250 and 500 μg/mL)
  .
 
</p></abstract><kwd-group><kwd>Antibacterial Activity</kwd><kwd> Benzimidazole</kwd><kwd> 2-Methylbenzimidazole Thiouronium</kwd><kwd> Halide</kwd></kwd-group></article-meta></front><body><sec id="s1"><title>1. Introduction</title><p>The benzimidazole scaffold is a significant pharmacophore with great interest due to its broad spectrum of biological activities [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref1">1</xref>] [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref2">2</xref>]. Its presence in a vast list of drugs such as etomidate, cimetidine, omeprazole, lansoprazole, azomycin, flumazenil, thyroliberin, methimazole, pilocarpine and etomidate in played the role of pharmacophore or as a substituent group [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref3">3</xref>]. A large number of works done towards benzimidazole scaffold became patents for a majority of biological properties, ranging from antitumor [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref4">4</xref>], anti-inflammatory [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref5">5</xref>] [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref6">6</xref>], anticancer [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref7">7</xref>] [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref8">8</xref>] and antifungal activities [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref9">9</xref>] [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref10">10</xref>] [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref11">11</xref>]. Among the structural variations on this ring, those affecting 1, 2 and 5 positions were very important for their pharmacological effect. Indeed, the optimization of the biological properties depends on the nature of the substituents on these positions [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref12">12</xref>] [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref13">13</xref>]. Recent studies showed that presence of a thiol group in 2 position enhanced biological activities such as antimicrobial [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref14">14</xref>], inflammatory [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref15">15</xref>], antiviral [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref16">16</xref>], antibacterial [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref17">17</xref>], antioxidant [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref18">18</xref>] [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref19">19</xref>], anticancer [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref20">20</xref>] and anti-proliferative [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref21">21</xref>]. It should be noted that, despite the large therapeutic arsenal, there is still an efficiency limit effects proved by the increase in strains resistant to bacteria. In this case, the design and synthesis of new antibacterial agents based on the flexibility of the benzimidazole scaffold became essential. Therefore, in this article, we designed new thiomethylbenzimidazole derivatives by introducing diverse substituents on 1 and 2 positions. The originality of our work lied in the introduction of the methylene group between the C-2 carbon of benzimidazole and the sulfur atom. The in vitro antimicrobial evaluation of the obtained compounds was conducted as well. Moreover, a detailed analysis of the structure of compounds would provide an opportunity to understand the structure-activity relationship and to identify a more advantageous option. Obtained results may be used for purposeful search of chemotherapeutic agents among compounds finding promising objects for studies aimed at developing compounds with other types of pharmacological activity.</p></sec><sec id="s2"><title>2. Materials and Methods</title><sec id="s2_1"><title>2.1. Materials</title><sec id="s2_1_1"><title>2.1.1. Materials of Chemistry</title><p>All reagent-grade chemicals were obtained from commercial suppliers and were used as received. Unless otherwise indicated, <sup>1</sup>H and <sup>13</sup>C (NMR) spectra were recorded on a Bruker Advance III spectrometer at <sup>1</sup>H (300 MHz), <sup>13</sup>C (75 MHz) or <sup>1</sup>H (400 MHz), <sup>13</sup>C (101 MHz) or <sup>1</sup>H (600 MHz), <sup>13</sup>C (400 MHz), respectively, in CDCl<sub>3</sub>, DMSO-d6 and Acetone-d6 solutions. For <sup>1</sup>H NMR assignments, the chemical shifts are reported in ppm on the δ scale. The following notation is used for the <sup>1</sup>H NMR spectral splitting patterns: s (singlet), d (doublet), dd (doublet of doublet), t (triplet), q (quadruplet), m (multiplet) and further qualified as app (apparent), br (broad) coupling constants, J are reported in Hz. (HRMS) were measured in the electrospray (ESI) mode on a LC-MSD TOF mass analyzer.<sup> </sup></p></sec><sec id="s2_1_2"><title>2.1.2. Biological Materials</title><p>Bacterial strains and inoculum preparation</p><p>The antibacterial tests were carried out on three bacterial mice: E. coli ATCC 25922, S. aureus ATCC 25923 and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 all from the Bacteriology laboratory of the Pasteur Institute of C&#244;te d’Ivoire and isolated from the gastric fluid of a patient hospitalized at the University Hospital Center of Cocody (Abidjan). The standardization of the bacterial inoculun was carried out on colonies of young culture in 0.9% NaCl and measurement of the optical density with DENSIMAT made it possible to obtain an imoculum corresponding to approximately 10 CFU/mL.</p></sec></sec><sec id="s2_2"><title>2.2. Methods</title><sec id="s2_2_1"><title>2.2.1. Methods of Synthesis</title><p>Synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives</p><p>Synthesis methods of 2 methyl-1H-benzamidazole thiourunium chloride salt (3)</p><p>To a solution of 2-(chloromethyl)-1H-benzimidazole (1 eq, 57.2 mmol) in 50 mL of acetonitrile, thiourea (1 eq, 57.2 mmol) was added. The mixture was brought to reflux for 2 hours. After cooling to room temperature, a precipitate was formed, filtered, washed several times with ethyl acetate and then dried in the open air to afford brown crystals, yield = 92%, m.p = 192˚C.</p><p>General procedure for the synthesis of 2-((thioalkyl)methyl)-1H-benzimidazoles derivatives (5a - g)</p><p>To a solution of 2-methylbenzimidazole thiourunium chloride salt (1 eq, 2.61 mmol) in 10 mL of absolute ethanol was added 10 mL of sodium hydroxide solution. The mixture was stirred under reflux, and then an appropriate alkylating agent (1.2 eq, 3.14 mmol) was added. The reaction stayed like this for one more hour. After cooling to room temperature, the mixture was diluted in dichloromethane and washed several times with water. The organic phase was dried over anhydrous Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>. And the solvent was evaporated in vacuo. The residue obtained after evaporation of solvent was purified by silica column chromatography (hexane/ethyl acetate: 7/3) to give compounds 5a - g.</p><p>General procedure for the synthesis of N-Alkyl 2-((thioalkyl)m&#233;thyl)-1H-benzimidazoles derivatives (7a - n)</p><p>To a solution of 2-((thioAlkyl)methyl)-1H-benzimidazole (1 eq, 10 mmol) in 8 mL of DMF, potassium carbonate (6 eq, 60 mmol) was added and the mixture was stirred at 50˚C for 1 hour. Ethyl or benzyl chloride (4 eq, 40 mmol) was added and the mixture was stirred for 3 hours at 50˚C. The reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and the organic phase was extracted with dichloromethane, dried over anhydrous MgSO<sub>4</sub> and evaporated in vacuo. The residue obtained was purified by silica column chromatography (hexane/ethyl acetate: 7/3) to give compounds 7a - n.</p><p>Products characterizations</p><p>2-((methylthio)methyl)-1H-benzimidazole 5a</p><p>Yellow crystals, yield = 96%, m.p = 148˚C - 150˚C. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (600 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 7.55 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.2 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 7.18 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.2 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 4.00 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.57 (s, 3H, SCH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (400 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 152.27 (C=N), 121.74 (CH-Ar), 28.32 (CH<sub>2</sub>-S), 25.40 (S-CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>9</sub>H<sub>10</sub>N<sub>2</sub>SNa (M + Na<sup>+</sup>) = 201.0251 Found = 201.0254.</p><p>2-((isobutylthio)methyl)-1H-benzimidazole 5b</p><p>Yellow crystals, yield = 68%, m.p = 126˚C - 126˚C. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (600 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 7.55 (t, J = 4.7 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 7.18 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.1 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 3.97 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.48 (d, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H, SCH<sub>2</sub>), 1.80 (m, 1H, CH), 0.93 (d, J = 6.7 Hz, 6H, 2CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (400 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 152.21 (C=N), 121.71 (CH-Ar), 40.56 (CH), 28.01 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 21.23 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>12</sub>H<sub>17</sub>N<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 221.1308 Found = 221.1313.</p><p>3-(((1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)methyl)thio)propanoate d’&#233;thyle 5c</p><p>Yellow crystals, yield = 25%, m.p = 104˚C - 106˚C. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (600 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 7.56 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.2 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 7.19 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.2 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 4.08 (q, J = 7.1 Hz, 2H, OCH<sub>2</sub>), 4.04 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.85 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>C=O), 2.62 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H, SCH<sub>2</sub>), 1.19 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (400 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 171.23 (C=O), 151.99 (C=N), 121.82 (CH-Ar), 59.99 (OCH<sub>2</sub>), 34.05 (CH<sub>2</sub>CO), 28.60 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 26.62 (SCH<sub>2</sub>), 13.61 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>15</sub>H<sub>17</sub>O<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 261.1054 Found = 261.1058.</p><p>2-((ethylthio)methyl)-1H-benzimidazole 5d</p><p>Yellow crystals, yield = 62%, m.p = 132˚C - 136˚C. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (600 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 7.56 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.2 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 7.19 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.2 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 4.01 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.59 (q, J = 7.4 Hz, 2H, SCH<sub>2</sub>), 1.21 (t, J = 7.4 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (400 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 152.29 (C=N), 121.76 (CH-Ar), 28.34 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 25.42 (SCH<sub>2</sub>), 13.82 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>10</sub>H<sub>13</sub>N<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 193.0929 Found = 193.0925.</p><p>2-((butylthio)methyl)-1H-benzimidazole 5e</p><p>Yellow crystals, yield = 57%, m.p = 144˚C - 146˚C. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.54 (t, J = 4.7 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 7.15 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.1 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 3.95 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.44 (t, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H, SCH<sub>2</sub>), 1.61-1.52 (m, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>), 1.41-1.26 (m, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>) 0.90 (t, J = 6.7 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 150.57 (C=N), 142.25, 135.01 (Cq-Ar), 122.39, 121.81, 119.47, 109.27 (CH-Ar), 31.33 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 31.02 (SCH<sub>2</sub>), 27.87 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 21.76 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 13.51 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>12</sub>H<sub>16</sub>N<sub>2</sub>SNa (M + Na<sup>+</sup>) = 243.2319 Found = 243.2315.</p><p>2-(((1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)m&#233;thyl)thio)ac&#233;tate d’&#233;thyle 5f</p><p>Yellow crystals, yield = 96%, m.p = 68˚C - 72˚C. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (600 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 7.56 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.2 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 7.19 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.1 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 4.13 (s, 2H, SCH<sub>2</sub>C=O), 4.10 (q, J = 7.1 Hz, 2H, OCH<sub>2</sub>), 3.45 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 1.21 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (400 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 169.66 (C=O), 151.28 (C=N), 121.83 (Cq-Ar), 60.78 (OCH<sub>2</sub>), 32.97 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 13.50 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>12</sub>H<sub>15</sub>N<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 251.0909 Found = 251.0913.</p><p>2-(((1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)m&#233;thyl)thio)propanoate d’&#233;thyle 5g</p><p>Yellow crystals, yield = 38%, m.p = 100˚C - 102˚C. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (600 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 7.60 (dt, J = 6.7, 3.3 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 7.23 (dd, J = 6.1, 3.1 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 4.26 (d, J = 14.7 Hz, 1H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 4.17 (d, J = 14.7 Hz, 1H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 4.12 (q, J = 7.1 Hz, 2H, OCH<sub>2</sub>), 3.72 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 1H, CH), 1.42 (d, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>), 1.23 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (400 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 172.28 (C=O), 151.47 (C=N), 121.87 (C-Ar), 60.71 (OCH2), 41.03 (CH), 28.60 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 16.63 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 13.48 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>15</sub>H<sub>17</sub>O<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 265.0909 Found = 265.0905.</p><p>N-&#233;thyl-2-((methylthio)methyl)-1H-benzimidazole 7a</p><p>Yellow oil, yield = 62%. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.36 - 7.32 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.28 (d, J = 1.9 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 7.24 (d, J = 1.8 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 4.25 (q, J = 7.3 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 3.92 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.13 (s, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>), 1.47 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 150.09 (C=N), 142.08, 134.96 (Cq-Ar), 122.45, 121.85, 119.41, 109.28 (CH-Ar), 38.62 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 29.41 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 14.93 (CH<sub>3</sub>S), 14.75 (CH<sub>3</sub>CH<sub>2</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>11</sub>H<sub>15</sub>N<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 207.0949 Found = 207.0953.</p><p>N-&#233;thyl-2-((m&#233;thyllthio)butyl)-1H-benzimidazole 7b</p><p>Yellow oil, yield = 67%. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.76 - 7.71 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.35 (ddd, J = 4.5, 2.3, 0.5 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 7.28 (d, J = 1.9 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 7.25 (d, J = 1.8 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 4.27 (q, J = 7.3 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N ), 3.94 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 1.61 - 1.52 (m, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub> ), 1.48 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>), 1.41 - 1.26 (m, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>), 0.87 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 150.57 (C2), 142.25 (C9), 135.01 (C4), 122.39 (C6), 121.81 (C7), 119.47 (C5), 109.27 (C8), 38.68 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 31.33 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 31.02 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 27.87 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 21.76 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 14.80 (CH<sub>3</sub>), 13.51 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>14</sub>H<sub>20</sub>N<sub>2</sub>SNa (M + Na<sup>+</sup>) = 271.1439 Found = 271.1442.</p><p>N-&#233;thyl-2-((m&#233;thylthio)&#233;thyl)-1H-benzimidazole 7c</p><p>Yellow oil, yield = 79%. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz,) δ 7.87 - 7.62 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.37 - 7.33 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.28 (d, J = 2.0 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 7.25 (d, J = 1.9 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 4.27 (q, J = 7.3 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 3.96 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.59 (q, J = 7.4 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>CH<sub>3</sub>), 1.48 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>), 1.25 (t, J = 7.4 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 150.59 (CN), 142.26, 135.03 (Cq-Ar), 122.46, 121.88, 119.52, 109.32 (CH-Ar), 38.74 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 27.55 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 25.64 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 14.85 (CH<sub>3</sub>), 14.28 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>16</sub>H<sub>17</sub>N<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 221.1019 Found = 221.1021.</p><p>N-&#233;thyl-2-((m&#233;thylthio)isobutyl)-1H-benzimidazole 7d</p><p>Red oil, yield = 75%. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.77 - 7.68 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.38 - 7.31 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.28 (d, J = 1.9 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 7.25 (d, J = 1.9 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 4.27 (q, J = 7.3 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 3.94 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.47 (d, J = 6.8 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>), 1.79 (dt, J = 13.4, 6.7 Hz, 1H, CH), 1.48 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>), 0.93 (d, J = 6.6 Hz, 6H, 2CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 150.62 (C=N), 142.26, 135.03 (Cq-Ar), 122.41, 121.82, 119.51, 109.30 (CH-Ar), 40.61 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 38.72 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 28.32 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 28.10 (CH), 21.81 (2CH<sub>3</sub>), 14.82 (CH<sub>3</sub>).</p><p>HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>14</sub>H<sub>20</sub>N<sub>2</sub>SNa (M + Na<sup>+</sup>) = 271.1310 Found = 271.1306</p><p>N-benzyl-2-((m&#233;thylthio)m&#233;thyl)-1H-benzimidazole 7e</p><p>Red oil, yield = 82%. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.79 (dt, J = 7.6, 1.3 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 7.37 - 7.15 (m, 6H, H-Ar), 7.07 (dd, J = 7.3, 2.2 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 5.47 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 3.84 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.13 (s, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 150.55 (C=N), 141.91, 135.71, 135.57 (Cq-Ar), 128.74, 127.69, 126.10, 122.72, 122.03, 119.40, 109.55 (CH-Ar), 46.92 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 29.48 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 14.85 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>16</sub>H<sub>17</sub>N<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 269.1019 Found = 269.1015.</p><p>N-benzyl-2-((m&#233;thylthio)&#233;thyl)-1H-benzimidazole 7f</p><p>Yellow crystals, yield = 72%, m.p = 96˚C - 98˚C. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.80 (m, J = 7.5, 1.4 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 7.39 - 7.18 (m, 6H, H-Ar), 7.15 - 7.03 (m, 2H, H-Ar), 5.52 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 3.91 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.61 (q, J = 7.4 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>), 1.26 (t, J = 7.4 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 151.08 (C=N), 142.19, 135.86 (Cq-Ar), 135.76, 128.85, 127.79, 126.23, 122.76, 122.09, 119.58, 109.61 (CH-Ar), 47.08 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 27.78 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 25.60 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 14.25 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>17</sub>H<sub>18</sub>N<sub>2</sub>SNa (M + Na<sup>+</sup>) = 306.1231 Found = 306.1235.</p><p>N-benzyl-2-((m&#233;thylthio)isobutyl)-1H-benzimidazole 7g</p><p>Yellow oil, yield = 69%. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.96 - 7.71 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.44 - 7.18 (m, 6H, H-Ar), 7.17 - 7.03 (m, 2H, H-Ar), 5.53 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 3.88 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.49 (d, J = 6.9 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>), 1.98 - 1.55 (m, 1H, CH), 0.96 (d, J = 6.6 Hz, 6H, 2CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 151.15 (C=N), 142.17, 135.87 (Cq-Ar), 135.79, 128.87, 127.81, 126.28, 122.77, 122.09, 119.59, 109.63 (CH-Ar), 47.09 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 40.59 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 28.56 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 28.10 (CH), 21.82 (2 CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>19</sub>H<sub>22</sub>N<sub>2</sub>SNa (M + Na<sup>+</sup>) = 333.1525 Found = 333.1522.</p><p>N-benzyl-2-((m&#233;thylthio)butyl)-1H-benzimidazole 7h</p><p>Yellow crystals, yield = 60%, m.p = 78˚C - 80˚C. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (600 MHz, DMSO-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 7.62 (dd, J = 7.5, 1.6 Hz, 1H, H-Ar), 7.38 - 7.33 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.31 (dd, J = 8.3, 6.7 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 7.28 - 7.22 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.16 (ddt, J = 7.0, 3.0, 1.8 Hz, 4H, H-Ar), 5.55 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 4.01 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.58 - 2.52 (m, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>), 1.52 - 1.43 (m, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>), 1.30 (dt, J = 14.8, 7.4 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>), 0.82 (t, J = 7.4 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (151 MHz, DMSO-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 152.06 (C=N), 142.59, 137.17 (Cq-Ar), 135.88, 129.06, 127.92, 127.15, 122.68, 122.09, 119.30, 110.99 (CH-Ar), 47.03 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 31.12 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 31.10 (SCH<sub>2</sub>), 27.29 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 21.69 (CH<sub>2</sub>), 13.89 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>19</sub>H<sub>22</sub>N<sub>2</sub>SNa (M + Na<sup>+</sup>) = 333.1551 Found = 333.1552.</p><p>N-&#233;thyl-2-(((1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)m&#233;thyl)thio)ac&#233;tate d’&#233;thyle 7i</p><p>Yellow oil, yield = 64%. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.86 - 7.67 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.41 - 7.34 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.34 - 7.20 (m, 2H, H-Ar), 4.29 (q, J = 7.3 Hz, 2H, OCH<sub>2</sub>), 4.11 (s, 2H, SCH<sub>2</sub>CO), 4.10 (q, J = 7.3 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 3.39 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 1.50 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>), 1.23 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 169.89 (C=O), 149.57 (C=N), 142.38, 135.05 (Cq-Ar), 122.68, 122.02, 119.69, 109.41 (CH-Ar), 61.46 (OCH<sub>2</sub>), 38.77 (SCH<sub>2</sub>C=O), 33.16 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 28.14 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 14.96 (CH<sub>3</sub>), 14.01 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>14</sub>H<sub>18</sub>O<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>SNa (M + Na<sup>+</sup>) = 301.1009 Found = 301.1011.</p><p>N-benzyl-2-(((1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)m&#233;thyl)thio)ac&#233;tate d’&#233;thyle 7j</p><p>Red oil, yield = 62%. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.90 - 7.72 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.51 - 7.22 (m, 6H, H-Ar), 7.22 - 6.98 (m, 2H, H-Ar), 5.52 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 4.10 (q, J = 7.3 Hz, 2H, OCH<sub>2</sub>) 4.03 (s, 2H, SCH<sub>2</sub>C=O), 3.39 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 1.20 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 169.82 (C=O), 150.17 (C=N), 142.29, 135.93, 135.74 (Cq-Ar), 129.00, 127.97, 126.34, 123.06, 122.29, 119.76, 109.74 (CH-Ar), 61.49 (OCH<sub>2</sub>), 47.19 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 33.21(SCH<sub>2</sub>C=O), 28.47 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 14.00 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>19</sub>H<sub>20</sub>O<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>SNa (M + Na<sup>+</sup>) = 363.1180 Found = 363.1178.</p><p>N-&#233;thyl-2-(((1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)m&#233;thyl)thio)propanoate d’&#233;thyle 7k</p><p>Red oil, yield = 60%. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.74 - 7.65 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.36 - 7.10 (m, 3H, H-Ar), 4.17 (q, J = 9 Hz, 2H, OCH<sub>2</sub>), 4.14 - 4.00 (m, 4H, CH<sub>2</sub>N, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 3.57 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 1H, CH), 1.46 - 1.35 (m, 6H, 2CH<sub>3</sub>), 1.17 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 172.69 (C=O), 149.86 (C=N), 142.37, 134.97 (Cq-Ar), 122.69, 122.07, 119.59, 109.50 (CH-Ar), 61.31 (OCH<sub>2</sub>), 41.34 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 38.82 (CH), 27.63 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 17.22 (CH<sub>3</sub>), 14.97 (CH<sub>3</sub>), 14.04 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>15</sub>H<sub>21</sub>O<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 293.1147 Found = 293.1150.</p><p>N-benzyl-2-(((1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)m&#233;thyl)thio)propanoate d’&#233;thyle 7l</p><p>Red oil, yield = 63%. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.92 - 7.67 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.38 - 7.21 (m, 6H, H-Ar), 7.15 - 7.04 (m, 2H, H-Ar), 5.51 (d, J = 3.6 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 4.08 (q, J = 12 Hz, 2H, OCH<sub>2</sub>), 4.07 (d, J = 3.6 Hz, 1H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 4.06 (d, J= 3.6 Hz, 1H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 3.61 (q, J = 7.2 Hz, 1H, CH), 1.46 (d, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>), 1.19 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 172.64 (C=0), 150.41 (C=N), 142.31, 135.71, 128.97 (Cq-Ar), 127.94, 126.30, 123.01, 122.29, 119.77, 109.73 (CH-Ar), 61.32 (OCH<sub>2</sub>), 47.21 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 41.39 (CH), 27.97 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 17.23 (CH<sub>3</sub>), 14.00 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>20</sub>H<sub>23</sub>O<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 355.1341 Found = 355.1338.</p><p>N-&#233;thyl-3-(((1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)m&#233;thyl)thio)propanoate d’&#233;thyle 7m</p><p>Red oil, yield = 63%. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (600 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 7.56 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.2 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 7.19 (dd, J = 6.0, 3.2 Hz, 2H, H-Ar), 4.10 (q, J = 7.3 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 4.08 (q, J = 7.1 Hz, 2H, OCH<sub>2</sub>), 4.04 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.85 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>C=O), 2.62 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 2H, SCH<sub>2</sub>), 1.50 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>), 1.19 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (400 MHz, Acetone-d<sub>6</sub>) δ 171.23 (C=O), 151.99 (C=N), 142.33, 135.73 (Cq-Ar), 122.70, 122.10, 119.61, 109.52 (CH-Ar), 59.99 (OCH<sub>2</sub>), 47.21 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 34.05 (CH<sub>2</sub>CO), 28.60 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 26.62 (SCH<sub>2</sub>), 13.61 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>15</sub>H<sub>21</sub>O<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 293.1279 Found = 293.1282.</p><p>N-benzyl-3-(((1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)m&#233;thyl)thio)propanoate d’&#233;thyle 7n</p><p>Yellow crystals, yield = 61%, m.p = 134˚C - 136˚C. <sup>1</sup>H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 7.92 - 7.67 (m, 1H, H-Ar), 7.34 - 7.17 (m, 6H, H-Ar), 7.12 - 7.02 (m, 2H, H-Ar), 5.49 (d, J = 3.6 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>N), 4.04 (q, J = 7.1 Hz, 2H, OCH<sub>2</sub>), 4.01 (s, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>S), 2.82 (t, J = 7.0 Hz, 2H, CH<sub>2</sub>C=O), 2.58 (t, J = 7.0 Hz, 2H, SCH<sub>2</sub>), 1.17 (t, J = 7.1 Hz, 3H, CH<sub>3</sub>). <sup>13</sup>C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl<sub>3</sub>) δ 172.61 (C=0), 150.38 (C=N), 142.27, 135.67, 128.95 (Cq-Ar), 127.91, 126.26, 123.01, 122.28, 119.78, 109.74 (CH-Ar), 61.30 (OCH<sub>2</sub>), 47.23 (CH<sub>2</sub>N), 34.06 (CH<sub>2</sub>CO), 28.59 (CH<sub>2</sub>S), 26.61 (SCH<sub>2</sub>), 13.63 (CH<sub>3</sub>). HRMS (ESI) Calc. for C<sub>20</sub>H<sub>23</sub>O<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>S (M + H<sup>+</sup>) = 355.1452 Found = 355.1448.</p></sec><sec id="s2_2_2"><title>2.2.2. Biological Methods</title><p>Preparation of stock solutions</p><p>The synthetic compounds were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with the aim to get a concentration of 1000 &#181;g/mL. This stock solution was used for the antibacterial tests. At this concentration, DMSO has no effect on the growth of the bacteria tested (negative control). Stock solutions were sterilized at 121˚C/15minutes. Sterility tests showed no microbial contamination.</p><p>Preparation of agar diffusion test</p><p>First, the antibacterial activity of the compounds was evaluated by the diffusion method described by the National Committee for Clinical Laboraty Standards (NCCLS) [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref22">22</xref>] with some modifications. The previously prepared bacterial inoculum was inoculated by swabbing onto each plate of Mueller-Hinton agar. A volume of 80 μL of each compound was placed in the wells made using a Pasteur pipette and after incubation at 37˚C for 18 - 24 hours. The diameters (including wells) of the inhibition zones around the wells was measured (in mm) by using a caliper. The compound was named active if the diameter of inhibition is ≥8 mm. A Ciprofloxacin disc (5 μg) was used as a reference antibiotic (positive control). Each test was repeated three times.</p><p>Methods to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC)</p><p>The macro dilution technique in liquid medium reported by Okou et al. [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref23">23</xref>], with some modifications made it possible to determine the MIC. Double dilution series of each compound was distributed in 10 hemolysis tubes, followed by addition of bacterial inoculum at 10<sup>6</sup> CFU/mL. A final concentration range of 0.98 to 500 μg/mL was obtained. The whole was incubated at 37˚C for 18 - 24 hours. The MIC is defined as the lowest concentration for which there is no visible growth.</p></sec></sec></sec><sec id="s3"><title>3. Results and Discussions</title><sec id="s3_1"><title>3.1. Chemistry</title><p>The synthesis of new benzimidazole derivatives (7a - n) was carried out by interaction between 2-(substitutedthio)methyl)-1H-benzimidazole (5a - g) with alkyl or benzyl halides (Scheme 1). These new derivatives were obtained using the method described by Lopes et al. [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref24">24</xref>]. This method consists to heat at 60˚C in dimethylformamide (DMF), the mixture of compounds (5a - g) and alkyl or benzyl halides 6 in the presence of potassium carbonate (K<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>). The reaction</p><p>generated an amide ion which further reacts with the electrophile to give the N-alkylated benzimidazoles. Compounds (7a - n) were isolated and purified by silica column chromatography. About the compounds (5a - g) synthesis, they were carried out by nucleophilic substitution reaction (S-alkylation) between 2-methylbenzimidazole thiourunium chloride salt (3) and functionalized alkyl halides (4). The reaction was set up in the presence of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in a water-ethanol mixture for 1 hour. The benzimidazole thiouronium chloride salt (3) used to synthesize compounds (5a - g) was obtained via an intermediate reaction, by mixing compound 1 with thiourea 2 under reflux for 1 hour. Analysis of <sup>1</sup>H and <sup>13</sup>C NMR spectra of compounds (5a - g) showed the presence of peaks corresponding to different alkyl groups. In the NMR spectra of compounds (7a - n) we noted the disappearance of pyrrolic nitrogen proton around 12 ppm and the appearance of peaks corresponding to ethyl and benzyl groups. The presence of N-ethyl groups of compounds (7a - n) was characterized by the presence of a quadruplet around 4.2 ppm with a coupling constant of 7.3 Hz. We could speculate on the fact that, quadruplet corresponds to two protons directly linked to nitrogen atom. Formation of N-benzyl compounds was also confirmed by the presence of a singlet around 5.5 ppm corresponding to protons of methylene group (CH<sub>2</sub>N). For compounds 7l and 7n, the two protons was observed in form of doublet. Structures of both compounds were also confirmed by the <sup>13</sup>C NMR spectrum.</p></sec><sec id="s3_2"><title>3.2. Biology</title><sec id="s3_2_1"><title>3.2.1. Agar Diffusion Test</title><p>Among the synthesized benzimidazole derivatives, ten of them were in vitro evaluated by diffusion on agar method and macrodilution in liquid medium on E. coli ATCC 25922, S. aureus ATCC 25923 and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The results of agar diffusion test are reported in <xref ref-type="table" rid="table1">Table 1</xref>.</p><p>Compounds 5c, 5g, 7f and 7h showed good antibacterial activity on E. coli ATTC 25922 with inhibition diameters in a range between 15 &#177; 0.04 mm and 18 &#177; 0.01 mm, meaning that they are very sensitive to this bacterial strain. They also showed good antibacterial activity against S. aureus ATCC 25923 with inhibition diameters ranging from 11 &#177; 0.10 to 18 &#177; 0.02 mm. On the other hand, they had no effect on P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 at a concentration of 1000 &#181;g/mL. Compounds 7i, 7j, 7m, 7n, 7k and 7l, did not reveal antibacterial activity on E. coli ATTC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 25923 at concentration of 1000 &#181;g/mL with inhibition diameters less than 8 mm. While, they showed an efficient antibacterial activity on P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 with inhibition diameters between 12 &#177; 0.02 mm and 16 &#177; 0.04 mm.</p></sec><sec id="s3_2_2"><title>3.2.2. Minimun Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (CMB) Determination</title><p>The MIC was determined only for the most active molecules observed during sensitivity tests with induction of a diameter in the zone of inhibition equal or greater than 15 mm [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.111544-ref25">25</xref>]. The results of MIC and CMB are reported in <xref ref-type="table" rid="table2">Table 2</xref>.</p><table-wrap id="table1" ><label><xref ref-type="table" rid="table1">Table 1</xref></label><caption><title> Zone of inhibition diameters in mm (mean &#177; standard deviation)</title></caption><table><tbody><thead><tr><th align="center" valign="middle"  rowspan="2"  >Compounds</th><th align="center" valign="middle"  colspan="3"  >Zone inhibition diameters (mm) &#177; SD</th></tr></thead><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >E coli ATTC 25922</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >S. aureus ATCC 25923</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5c</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >15 &#177; 0.04</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >15 &#177; 0.00</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5g</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >18 &#177; 0.01</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >18 &#177; 0.02</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7f</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >16 &#177; 0.12</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >12 &#177; 0.08</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7h</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >16 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >11 &#177; 0.10</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7i</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >12 &#177; 0.02</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7j</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >15 &#177; 0.80</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7m</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >13 &#177; 0.06</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7n</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >16 &#177; 0.04</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7k</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >13 &#177; 0.04</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7l</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >13 &#177; 0.00</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6 &#177; 0.00</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Ciprofloxacine (5 &#181;g)</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >28 &#177; 0.01</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >31 &#177; 0.01</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >22 &#177; 0.04</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><table-wrap id="table2" ><label><xref ref-type="table" rid="table2">Table 2</xref></label><caption><title> Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC in &#181;g/mL) and bactericidal concentration (CMB in &#181;g/mL). NB: - is not determined</title></caption><table><tbody><thead><tr><th align="center" valign="middle"  rowspan="2"  >Compounds</th><th align="center" valign="middle"  colspan="2"  >E. coli ATTC 25922</th><th align="center" valign="middle"  colspan="2"  >P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853</th><th align="center" valign="middle"  colspan="2"  >S. aureus ATCC 25923</th></tr></thead><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >CMI</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >CMB</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >CMI</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >CMB</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >CMI</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >CMB</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5c</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >&gt;500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >&gt;500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >&gt;500</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5g</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >250</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >&gt;500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >250</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >&gt;500</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7f</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >&gt;500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7h</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >&gt;500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7i</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7j</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >&gt;500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >&gt;500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7m</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7n</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >&gt;500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7k</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >9l</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >-</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><p>Compounds 5g, 7f and 7h showed significant antibacterial activity with MIC ranging from 250 to 500 &#181;g/mL on E. Coli ATTC 25922. Among these three molecules, only 5g inhibited efficiently S. aureus ATCC 25923 with a MIC = 250 &#181;g/mL. As for 7n, it exhibited good antibacterial activity on P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 with a MIC = 500 μg/mL. All compounds determined with the CMB, data revealed that the values were greater than 500 &#181;g/mL. Among them, 5g presented the best Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC = 250 &#181;g/mL). 7k and 7l obtained respectively by introduction of an ethyl and benzyl group on pyrrolic nitrogen of compound 5g were inactive. Therefore, we conclude that N-alkylation was not improved the inhibitory activity of compound 5g.</p></sec></sec></sec><sec id="s4"><title>4. Conclusion</title><p>We have prepared a series of heterocyclic compounds 5a - g and 7a - n from 2-chloromethyl-1H-benzimidazole 1. The antibacterial activity was evaluated in vitro for ten compounds against three bacterial mice: E. coli ATCC 25922, S. aureus ATCC 25923 and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 using the diffusion on agar method and macrodilution in liquid medium and Ciprofloxacin as a reference. Some have shown good antibacterial activity on the three bacterial mice. The MIC was performed only for the most active compounds and some showed significant antibacterial activity on E. Coli ATTC 25922. Moreover among these compounds, 5g exhibited the best minimum inhibitory concentration.</p></sec><sec id="s5"><title>Acknowledgements</title><p>We wish to thank the laboratory (Laboratoire de M&#233;thodologie et Synth&#232;se de Produits Naturels) of the University of Quebec in Montreal (Canada) and the Laboratory LG2A of Jules Verne Picardic University (France) for providing us the chemical reagents and material for the spectroscopic analyzes.</p></sec><sec id="s6"><title>Conflicts of Interest</title><p>The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.</p></sec><sec id="s7"><title>Cite this paper</title><p>Evrard, A., Siomenan, C., Etienne, C.T., Daouda, T., Souleymane, C., Drissa, S. and An&#233;, A. (2021) Design, Synthesis and in Vitro Antibacterial Activity of 2-thiomethyl-benzimidazole Derivatives. 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