Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 6-O-Sucrose Monoester Glycolipids as Possible New Antifungal Agents

A small library of 6-O-sucrose monoester surfactants has been synthesized and tested against various microorganisms. The synthetic procedure involved a modified Mitsunobu reaction, which showed improved results compared to those present in the literature (higher yields and larger scope). The antifungal activities of most of these glycolipids were satisfactory. In particular, sucrose palmitoleate (URB1537) showed good activity against Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Fusarium spp., and Aspergillus fumigatus IDRAH01 (MIC value: 16, 32, 64 µg/mL, respectively), and was further characterized through radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, and biocompatibility tests. URB1537 has been shown to control the inflammatory response and to have a safe profile.