Synthesis and biological evaluation of new oxime-ether derivatives of steroid as anti-bacterial agents

Various oxime-ether derivatives of cholesterol have been synthesized by the alkylation of the steroidal oxime with 1-(2-chloroethyl) pyrrolidine hydrogen chloride/chloroethylamine hydrochloride in the presence of sodium methoxide in dry methanol. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by IR 1H NMR, FAB mass spectroscopic methods and elemental analyses. The anti-bacterial activity was first tested in vitro by the disk diffusion method against two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacteria, and then the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of compounds were determined. The results showed that the chloro derivatives exhibited better anti-bacterial activity than the standard drug chloramphenicol.