Abstract
magnified image As part of an ongoing program aimed at recognizing novel antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer molecules, herein we report the synthesis and biological evaluation of imidazolidin‐4‐one and thiazolidine‐2,4‐dione derivatives as antimicrobial agents. These compounds were prepared from 5,5,8,8‐tetramethyl‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐naphthalen‐2‐carboxaldehyde and 3‐substituted phenacyl‐2,4‐thiazolidinediones using Knoevenagel reaction. The structures of compounds were confirmed by ^1^H NMR, mass spectral data, and elemental analyses. The molecules were evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial activity against methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (standard), methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (isolated), Staphylococcus aureus (SA), Escherichia coli (EC), Bacillus subtilis (BS), and Candida albicans (CA). Compounds 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g and compound 4 showed equal and/or greater antimicrobial activity against MRSA and EC than ampicillin and sultamicillin. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2009)