This research focused on the growing danger of antibiotic resistance, which is a worrying issue for public health, especially in Africa, where the uncontrolled sale of antibiotics and inappropriate use of these medicines promote the development of drug-resistant pathogens.
The rise of drug-resistant microbes poses a serious public health challenge, reducing the effectiveness of existing treatments. New antimicrobial compounds based on Ag(I) and Cu(II) amide complexes were synthesized by acylating urea ligands with benzoyl chloride. Spectroscopic and crystallographic properties of the synthesized complexes were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. These compounds demonstrated unique coordination patterns and crystalline structures, which allow the Cu(II) complex to outperform the free ligand control against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi and Candida albicans. We assign these robust antimicrobial properties to the efficient penetration and binding of the metal complexes to the microbial cell membrane due to metal-ligand chelating effects. Although their effectiveness was less than that of the standardized drugs Imipenem and Amphotericin under the tested conditions, their clinical usefulness may be improved with additional refinements and create alternative pathways for the development of effective antimicrobial agents. The inference from the finding is that the complexes have shown promise as alternative antimicrobial compounds, especially in cases of drug resistance where conventional antibiotics fail. These results have expanded the search for new metal-based antimicrobial agents, with a strong foundation for future drug development against resistant infections, as there are limited studies using these metals.