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A number of branched aliphatic acids isolated from the metabolic waxes and lipids of mycobacteria not only cause the formation of lesions similar to those produced by the bacteria, but also inhibit the growth of the organisms (1). The cyclopentenyl fatty acids from chaulmoogra oil, which can be interpreted as unsaturated branched fatty acids, as well as some synthetic cyclic or aliphatic analogs (2), have shown a similar behavior. It appeared interesting to study the effect of long-chain acids containing heterocyclic basic rings on acid-fast organisms, and this investigation was undertaken in order to explore methods for the synthesis of such compounds. Some time after work on this problem had begun, Brody and Bogert published two articles (3) in which they described syntheses of 10-(a-pyridyl)-decanoic, and ll-(a-piperidyl)-, ll-(a-pyridyl)-and ll-(2-thiazolyl)-undecanoic acid and announced that these compounds would be tested as leprocidal agents. We were especially interested in polycyclic fatty acids, derived, for example, from quinoline, acridine, or benzothiazole, because so many drugs containing these

Some syntheses designed by us to lead to 9-(dialkylaminoalkyl)-isoalloxazine derivatives as potential metabolite antagonists to natural flavines were interrupted by the war four years ago,