Salicylanilides and Their Derivates as Perspective Anti-tuberculosis Drugs: Synthetic Routes and Biological Evaluations

Salicylanilides are a well-known family of pharmacological compounds, which are under renewed investigation because of the discovery of novel interesting biological activities and mechanisms of action over the last decade. This comprehensive mini-review describes the biological and pharmacological properties of salicylanilides, their activity against atypical and multi-drug resistant mycobacterial strains, and synthetic routes for their preparation. In particular, this review focuses on the synthesis and biological properties of salicylanilides and O-substituted derivates reported between 2000 and 2010, which have displayed the highest antituberculosis or antifungal activity.