Abstract: Aim To study the antifungal effect of chalcone derivatives. Methods Sixteen chalcone derivatives were synthesized and confirmed by ¹H NMR and IR spectra, and tested for antifungal activity against four common pathogenic fungi. Their structure-activity relationship is discussed. Results Among 16 title compounds, there were 5 new compounds, which have not been reported before. The preliminary antifungal test showed that all title compounds exhibited antifungal activities to a certain extent. The activity of compound 8 against Trichophyton rubrum had a potency equal to that of fluconazole, with a MIC of 4 μg·mL^-1. Conclusion Sixteen chalcones were prepared and their antifungal activities against four common pathogenic fungi in vitro were examined. Some of them exhibited antifungal activities to a certain extent.

Key words: chalcone, chalcone, antifungal agent, antifungal agent, in vitro, in vitro