Discovery of spirooxindole-pyrrolidine heterocyclic hybrids with potent antifungal activity against fungal pathogens.

Fungal pathogens mainly Candida and Cryptococcus species causes serious life-threating infections to humans, especially in individuals who are immunocompromised. Increasing frequency of antifungal drug resistance along with paucity of FDA-approved drugs suggest a dire need for new antifungal drugs. Our screening of newly synthesized spirooxindole heterocyclic hybrid compounds revealed that the novel small molecule, DPA-3, has potent antifungal activity without inducing mammalian cell cytotoxicity. Furthermore, DPA-3 significantly reduced hyphal and biofilm formation of Candida albicans ATCC 10231 strain, out-competing two FDA approved antifungal drugs. The results of our study conclude that DPA-3 is a compelling candidate for further development as an antifungal drug.