Salicylhydroxamic Acid as an Antitubercular Agent

Abstract

SOME derivatives of salicylic acid possess antitubercular properties, the most important of such substances being the well-known p-aminosalicylic acid used by Lehmann¹. Nevertheless, numerous investigations seem to indicate that most of the antitubercular compounds contain amino-groups. Hydroxamic acids can be used as reagents to introduce primary amino-groups into an aromatic nucleus, as found by Turski². I have recently confirmed this³ by using diacetyl-aceto-hydroxamic acid (O N N-triacetylhydroxylamine) as an aminating agent. Upon the assumption that this compound would combine the curative properties of some salicylic acid derivatives with those of amino-compounds, the hydroxamic acid group being in a way a potential amino-group, it seemed worth while to test the value of salicylhydroxamic acid as an antitubercular agent.