Relationships between the chemical structure of antimycobacterial substances and their activity against atypical strains. Part 14: 3-Aryl-6,8-dihalogeno-2H-1,3-benzoxazine-2,4(3H)-diones.

A set of eight derivatives of 6,8-dichloro-3-phenyl-2H-benzoxazine-2,4(3H)-dione and nine derivatives of 6,8-dibromo-3-phenyl-2H-1, 3-benzoxazine-2,4(3H)-dione, substituted on the phenyl ring, was prepared by the reaction of the corresponding salicylanilides with ethyl chloroformate. The compounds were evaluated in vitro for antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium kansasii, and Mycobacterium avium. Their activity increases with increasing hydrophobicity and electron-withdrawing ability of the substituents on the phenyl ring.