The relationship of cellular respiration inhibition activity of 7-substituted 4-hydroxyquinoline-3-carboxylic acids with van der Waals volume.

The cellular respiratory inhibition activity of 7-substituted 4-hydroxyquinoline-3-carboxylic acids recently designed by Shah and Coats is found by regression analysis to be significantly correlated with van der Waals volume (V(w)). A parabolic correlation is obtained in case of ascites cell inhibition and a linear correlation in case of malate dehydrogenase inhibition. The correlation of both types of inhibition with a single parameter, V(w), makes the process of substituent selection in designing more potent inhibitors of whole respiratory cell much simpler.