Exploring the Antimicrobial and Pharmacological Potential of NF22 as a Potent Inhibitor of E. coli DNA Gyrase: An In Vitro and In Silico Study

Toward the search for novel antimicrobial agents to control pathogenic E. coli-associated infections, a series of novel norfloxacin derivatives were screened for antimicrobial activities. The norfloxacin derivative, 1-ethyl-6-fluoro-7-(4-(2-(2-(3-hydroxybenzylidene)hydrazinyl)-2-oxoethyl)piperazin-1-yl)-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (NF22) demonstrated excellent antibacterial activities against E. coli ATCC 25922 (MIC = 0.0625 μg/mL) and MDR E. coli 1–3 (MIC = 1, 2 and 1 µg/mL). The time-kill kinetic studies have demonstrated that the NF22 was advantageous over norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin in killing the control and MDR E. coli strains. The checkerboard assay showed that NF22 in combination with tetracycline had a synergistic effect against the E. coli strains. The experimental findings are supported by molecular modeling studies on DNA gyrase, explaining the interactions involved for compound NF22, compared to norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Further, the compound was also evaluated for various pharmacokinetics (absorption, metabolism, distribution, toxicity and excretion) as well as drug-likeness properties. Our data have highlighted the potential of norfloxacin by restoring its efficacy against E. coli which could lead to the development of new antimicrobial agents.