Synthesis, spectral, crystal and antimicrobial studies of biologically potent oxime ethers of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur heterocycles.

Three series of oxime ethers viz, 2,6-diarylpiperidin-4-one O-benzyloximes 5a-o, 2,6-diaryltetrahydropyran-4-one O-benzyloximes 7a-e and 2,6-diaryltetrahydrothiopyran-4-one O-benzyloximes 11a-b and 12a-c were synthesized and stereochemistry is established by their spectral and single crystal analysis. A SAR study has been carried out for the above oxime ethers against a panel of antibacterial (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli) and antifungal agents (Candida albicans, Candida-51, Rhizopus sp., Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Cryptococcus neoformans), respectively, using Ciprofloxacin and Amphotericin B as standards. Most of the chloro/methyl/methoxy substituted compounds exerted moderate to good activity against all the tested organisms; moreover, some compounds (5i, 5l, 5n, 5o, 7c2, 7d1, 7d2, 7e, 11b and 12c) exhibited promising activity than standard drugs.