ON THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF SOME SUBSTITUTED PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS.

Some substituted dihydroxybenzenes have been examined for suppression of the yeast-induced inflammatory reaction in the rat paw. This anti-inflammatory activity is greatest in those compounds derived from resorcinol and in particular the halogenated 5-methylresorcinols. The significance of the internuclear distance between the hydroxyl groups in the meta-position to each other in resorcinol and the importance of the enhanced activity due to the halogen atom(s) is discussed. In this series the toxicity and activity could not be divorced.