ANTIMALARIAL ACTIVITY OF HYDROXY‐SUBSTITUTED NAPHTHALENE COMPOUNDS

A new series of mono‐ and di‐hydroxy substituted naphthalene compounds was synthesized and found to possess antimalarial activity against P. gallinaceum infection of young chicks. A representative compound with a high degree of activity was chosen for extensive testing against other malarial species and for pharmacological investigation. The formula of this compound, number 377C54, was 1:6‐dihydroxy‐2:5‐bis(cyclohexylaminomethyl)naphthalene dihydrochloride. Effective doses against P. gallinaceum in chicks, P. berghei in mice and P. cathemerium in canaries were 2.3, 4.0, and about 6 mg./kg. respectively. Compound 377C54 acted rapidly against the parasitaemia of P. gallinaceum in chicks and P. knowlesi in a rhesus monkey. Parasiticidal activity remained in the blood of chicks for a long time after a single oral dose. The drug can be estimated by the production of colour on coupling with diazotized p‐nitroaniline. Drug concentrations in blood from chicks and humans rose rapidly after oral administration. In tissues from chicks, particularly liver and lung, the drug persisted for a long period. An unsuccessful attempt was made to induce resistance to 377C54 in a strain of P. gallinaceum. Extensive pharmacological investigation showed that 377C54 possessed no special pharmacological properties.