Electrochemical Modification of Metronidazole and its Application as Antibacterial and Potential Drug Agent

Background: Drug resistance poses a threat to global health given the disturbing rate at which microbiological illnesses are rising and the widespread use of antibiotics. While naturally occurring antibiotics reduce the likelihood of bacterial resistance, recognized drugs can develop the same properties when structurally modified. Metronidazole has been targeted to achieve this feat. Objective: The purpose of this work is to enable the structural modification of metronidazole by means of electric current, using inexpensive, easily accessible magnesium ribbon as electrodes in order to produce a novel, effective antibiotic. Method: With magnesium ribbon electrodes, metronidazole is modified electrochemically, in an undivided cell system. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to characterize the product. Antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method and Wistar rats were used for in vivo toxicity assessment. Result: 2-Methyl-1-vinyl-1H-imidazol-5-amine showed good antibacterial activities compared to the standard nitrofurantoin and toxicity evaluations using Wistar rats revealed that the product might induce dose-dependent variations in kidney function biomarkers, with doses of 100 mg/kg and below. However, when the compound was administered orally, there was no significant effect on liver function, even at a dose of 1000 mg/kg. Conclusion: These results point to the modified metronidazole's potential as a potent antibiotic with controllable toxicity, indicating that additional research into its pharmacological uses is necessary.