A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF A SERIES OF AROMATIC ACIDS ON THE ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT OF THE ADRENAL GLAND

¹ Department of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada
² Department of Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

1. A series of aromatic acids has been investigated for their ability to cause a depletion of the adrenal ascorbic acid.

2. Ortho-hydroxybenzoic acid (salicylic acid), meta-hydroxybenzoic acid, para-methoxybenzoic acid, 2:6-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 3:5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2:hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid, 2: hydroxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid, 2:hydroxy-5-methoxybenzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-5-ethylbenzoic acid, and 2:5-dihydroxyphenyl-1:4-diacetic acid produced a significant depletion of the adrenal ascorbic acid.

3. Benzoic acid, para-hydroxybenzoic acid, ortho-methoxybenzoic acid, meta-methoxybenzoic acid, 2:3-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2:4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2:5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (gentisic acid), 3:4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 3-hydroxy 4-methoxybenzoic acid and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzoic acid were inactive.

4. For monosubstituted benzoic acids, a hydroxyl group in the ortho and meta postion and a methoxy group in the para position introduced activity. When a second substituent was introduced its position in the aromatic ring and its chemical nature were both of critical importance. No simple correlation between structure and activity was evident. The results suggest that the action of these substances involved an interaction in which certain structural factors are of importance.