Our IMPACT fellow Dr Richa Sharma has recently published the review article “Endoperoxides in combating bacterial infections: synthetic pathways, mechanism, biological activity and mode of action” in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports. We have asked her a few questions regarding this publication…
1. What is the topic of the article?
The review article entitled as “Endoperoxides in combating bacterial infections: synthetic pathways, mechanism, biological activity and mode of action” provides a well-rounded and insightful analysis of endoperoxides as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics, addressing the critical challenge of multidrug resistance (MDR). It comprehensively covers natural/synthetic endoperoxides, key structural determinants (O-O bond, steric effects, hydrophobicity) of bioactivity, ROS-mediated mechanisms, and synthetic feasibility. The manuscript logically links endoperoxide’s multitarget action to reduced resistance risk, highlights structural optimization strategies, and identifies clear directions for future research (SAR elucidation, synthetic optimization, clinical evaluation).
2. What inspired it?
Endoperoxides have emerged as important molecules with diverse therapeutic potential. The success of Artemisinin, a natural compound from Artemisia annua and several other natural as well synthetic endoperoxide inspire to explore more about this skeleton. Their bioactivity is largely attributed to the O–O bond, which promotes the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) capable of inducing intracellular damage. By disrupting multiple bacterial pathways, ROS can target a broad range of cellular processes, thereby lowering the likelihood of resistance development.
3. What impact will it have?
The findings in this review article highlight the need for future studies to elucidate the structure–activity relationships (SAR) underlying the antibacterial effects of endoperoxides, optimize their synthetic strategies, and further evaluate their therapeutic potential. Leveraging the unique properties of endoperoxides may enable the next-generation innovative antibacterial treatments to combat drug-resistant infections.
Curious to find out more?
The article is open access and can be read here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772417426000087