The title benzothiazine-3-carboxamide, C17H16N2O4S, crystallized in two enantiomorphic crystal forms with the space groups P32 and P31 despite the absence of a classic stereogenic atom. The molecular structures are mirror images of each other. Only one sulfonyl O atom takes part in intramolecular hydrogen bonding as a proton acceptor and this atom is different in the two enantiomorphic structures. As a result, the S atom becomes a pseudo-stereogenic centre. This fact is worth taking into account due to the different biological activities of the enantiomorphic forms. One form possesses a high analgesic activity, while the other form revealed a high anti-inflammatory activity.
Keywords: benzothiazine-3-carboxamide; crystal structure; enantiomorph; piroxicam analogue.