Abstract
Summary
1. 46 Acridines and 7 acridones were tested against Streptococcus faecalis in the presence of limiting amounts of folic acid. It was observed that 10 of the acridines and 5 of the acridones inhibited the organism. However, the amounts of test compounds needed were 1000 times (or more) those needed by aminopterin, amethopterin, and pyrimethamine. 2. Further study demonstrated that inhibition exhibited by acridines and acridones could be overcome by citrovorum factor, thymine, or thymidine in some instances. The toxicity of 5 of the acridines and 4 of the acridones was not overcome by any of the nutrilites tested which suggests that their inhibition was not due to interference with the nucleic acid metabolism of the organism. 3. An additional observation was that the anti-malarial quinacrine and the anti-bacterial Entozon did not inhibit S. faecalis in the presence of limiting amounts of folic acid. The anti-bacterial 5-aminoacridine was inhibitory whether the limiting nutrilite was folic acid, citrovorum factor, thymine, or thymidine.
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