Pyridine Derivatives and Other Compounds as Growth-Promoting Substances for Dysentery Bacilli.

Abstract

Vitamin B⁶, nicotinamide methiodide, pyrazine monocarboxylic acid and pyrazine 2,3-dicarboxylic acid showed no growth-promoting effect for dysentery bacilli when added to a basal synthetic medium. Thiazole 5-carboxylic acid and its amide exerted a low order of growth-promoting activity. The use of purified quinolinic acid in 1 × 10-⁴ molar concentration was uniformly followed by culture development. This may have been due to gradual conversion to nicotinic acid. Heating the quinolinic acid solution greatly increased its activity. The efficacy of quinolinic acid in curing pellagra may be due to contamination with small amounts of nicotinic acid.