Phenol derivatives

A phenol compound of the formula:

• NU--A--X--R.sup.1
• where NU is a phenolic nucleus of the general formula ##STR19## wherein one of R.sup.13 and R.sup.23, or one of R.sup.33 and R.sup.43, has the formula R.sup.3 O--, wherein R.sup.3 is hydrogen or alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkanoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxyalkanoyl or aroyl each of up to 10 carbon atoms;
• wherein one of R.sup.13 and R.sup.23, or one of R.sup.33 and R.sup.43, which is in the other aromatic ring B or C from that which contains the R.sup.3 O--substituent, is hydrogen, halogen, amino, trifluoromethyl, cyano, carboxy or carbamoyl, or alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyfluoroalkyl, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkanoylamino, alkanoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylcarbamoyl, dialkylcarbamoyl, alkylsulphamoyl or dialkylsulphamoyl each of up to 6 carbon atoms, and wherein the other two of R.sup.13, R.sup.23, R.sup.33, and R.sup.43 are hydrogen;
• or wherein one of R.sup.13 and R.sup.23, and one of R.sup.33 and R.sup.43, is hydrogen, halogen, amino, trifluoromethyl, cyano, carboxy or carbamoyl, or alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyfluoroalkyl, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkanoylamino, alkanoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylcarbamoyl, dialkylcarbamoyl, alkylsulphamoyl or dialkylsulphamoyl each of up to 6 carbon atoms;
• and wherein the other of R.sup.13 and R.sup.23, and the other of R.sup.33 and R.sup.43, is hydrogen;
• wherein R.sup.4 and R.sup.14, which may be the same or different, each is hydrogen or alkyl of up to 5 carbon atoms, or R.sup.4 and R.sup.14 are joined together so that CR.sup.4 --CR.sup.14 is an olefinic double bond;
• wherein R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 together form a direct link or --CH.sub.2 --, --CH(CH.sub.3)--, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --, --(CH.sub.2).sub.3 --, or --CH.dbd.CH--, and R.sup.15 is hydrogen;
• and wherein the aromatic ring B and C each is unsubstituted or substituted with one or more halogen or methyl, ethyl, isopropyl or isobutyl substituents;
• wherein A is straight- or branched-chain alkylene, alkenylene or alkynylene each of from 4 to 12 carbon atoms;
• or A has the formula:
• --A.sup.1 --Y.sup.3 --A.sup.21 --
• wherein A.sup.1 is alkylene or alkenylene and A.sup.21 is a direct link or alkylene, alkenylene or cycloalkylene, such that A.sup.1 and A.sup.21 together have a total of 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and Y.sup.3 is phenylene or napthylene which is unsubstituted or substituted with one or more halogen or methyl, ethyl, isopropyl or isobutyl substituents, wherein R.sup.1 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, halogenoalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, haloagenoalkoxyalkyl each of up to 10 carbon atoms, or, phenyl, chlorophenyl, o-ethylphenyl, p-cyanophenyl, p-hydroxyphenyl, p-methoxyphenyl, alkyl of 1 to 3 carbon atoms which bears a phenyl, tolyl, halogenophenyl or trifluoromethylphenyl substituent, .alpha.-methylbenzyl, 3,4-dichlorobenzyl, p-cyanobenzyl or p-methylthiobenzyl and wherein X is --S--, --SO-- or --SO.sub.2 --,
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of a compound wherein R.sup.3 is carboxyalkanoyl.