Bentranil is a postemergent herbicide used to control annual weeds in cereal crops, maize, and rice. 11,000 pounds (5,000 kg) of bentranil was used in the US in 1974. Bentranil has excellent selectivity on germinaceous crops, potatoes and soybeans, but was never commercialised due to the high doses needed to control broadleaf weeds. Bentranil is synthesised from 2-iodobenzoic acid and benzonitrile.
Medical potential Bentranil derivates show promise as highly selective Cytochrome P450 inhibitors, which is desirable to prevent and treat cancer, as P450 is highly expressed in tumours and is implicated to drug resistance.
Derivatives Fluorobentranil (bentranil that has undergone fluorine substitution) showed good broad-leaf activity and selectivity on rice, cereals and maize. The 5-fluoro derivative showed triple the standard herbicidal activity. The fluorine's electronegativity strengthens binding to enzymes.
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