Hippuric acid amides are used as semiproducts in the synthesis of oxazole derivatives possessing antidepressant activity [1]. According to [2-7], these compounds are obtained by azlactonation ofhippuric acid (I) under the action of acetic anhydride, followed by condensation of the intermediate product, 2-phenyl-2-oxazolin-5-one (II), with amines in tetrahydrofuran or benzene (or without solvent). The azlactonation of compound I is not a ...