Disinfectants chlorocresol

Many derivatives of phenol are now made by a synthetic process. Homologous series of substituted derivatives have been prepared and tested for antimicrobial activity. A combination of alkyl substitution and halogenation has produced useful derivatives including clorinated phenols which are constituents of a number of proprietary disinfectants. Two ofthe most widely used derivatives are/ -chloro-m-cresol (4-chloro-3-methylphenol, chlorocresol, Fig. 10.7C) which is mostly employed as a preservative at a concentration of 0.1%, and / -chloro-m-xylenol (4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol, chloroxylenol. Fig. 10.7C) which is used for skin disinfection, although less than formerly. Chloroxylenol is sparingly soluble in water and must be solubihzed, for example in a suitable soap solution in conjunction with terpineol or pine oil. Its antimicrobial capacity is weak and is reduced by the presence of organic matter. 

Chlorocresol Antimicrobial preservative, disinfectant, (not oral) Calcium chloride, codeine phosphate, diamorphine hydrochloride, papaveretum, and quinine hydrochloride... 

In higher concentrations, chlorocresol is an effective disinfectant. See Table I. 

Of chlorocresol (see Fig. 23.18), p-chloro-m-cresol and metacresol (m-cresol, see Fig. 23.19) only the last one is mentioned as a preservative in parenteral preparations (see Sect. 13.5.9). Chlorocresol is used as a disinfectant of clean rooms (see Table 31.5). The solubility of chlorocresol in water is 0.4 % the active concentration is 0.1 %. The solubility of metacresol is approximately 2 %. Solutions of chlorcresol or metacresol resist autoclaving. 

Solutions of cresol with soap were early pharmaceutical examples of solubilized systems. Phenol itself is soluble in water to the extent of 7.7 % (w/v), but it has disadvantages the alternatives, cresol, chlorocresol, chloroxylenol, and thymol, are much less soluble in water, and their use as disinfectants has led to the need for formulation in surfactant solutions. 

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