Design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of N-[4-(4-(alkyl/aryl/heteroaryl)-piperazin-1-yl)-phenyl]-carbamic acid ethyl ester derivatives as novel anticonvulsant agents

Synthesis and crystal structures of 1-benzoyl-4-(4-nitro-phen-yl)piperazine and 1-(4-bromo-benzo-yl)-4-phenyl-piperazine at 90 K

Synthesis and crystal structures of 1-benzoyl-4-(4-nitro-phen-yl)piperazine, C17H17N3O3, (I) and 1-(4-bromo-benzo-yl)-4-phenyl-piperazine, C17H17BrN2O, (II) are described. Compounds I and II crystallize in the ortho-rhom-bic and monoclinic crystal systems with space groups Pna21 (Z' = 2, I) and P21 (Z' = 1, II), respectively. The crystal of II was a two-component aggregate, treated as a 'twin' for data-acquisition purposes. There are no conventional hydrogen bonds in either I or II, but there are weaker C-H⋯O contacts. Each mol-ecule consists of a central piperazine ring in a chair conformation, with either benzoyl and nitro-phenyl (I) or 4-bromo-benzoyl and phenyl (II) groups attached to different nitro-gen atoms of the piperazine. The various atom-atom contact coverages as qu-anti-fied by Hirshfeld surface analysis fingerprint plots are given.

Influence of protonation on the geometry of 2-{[(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)ethyl]amino}-1-phenylethan-1-ol: crystal structures of the free base and of its chloride and 3-hydroxybenzoate salt forms

The aroxyalkylaminoalcohol derivatives are a group of compounds known for their pharmacological action. The crystal structures of four new xylenoxyaminoalcohol derivatives having anticonvulsant activity are reported, namely, 2-{[2-(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)ethyl]amino}-1-phenylethan-1-ol, C₁₈H₂₃NO₂, 1, the salt N-[2-(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)ethyl]-1-hydroxy-1-phenylethan-2-aminium 3-hydroxybenzoate, C₁₈H₂₄NO₂⁺·C₇H₅O₃^-, 2, and two polymorphs of the salt (R)-N-[2-(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)ethyl]-1-hydroxy-1-phenylethan-2-aminium chloride, C₁₈H₂₄NO₂⁺·Cl^-, 3 and 3p. Both polymorphs crystallize in the space group P2₁2₁2 and each has two cations and two anions in the asymmetric unit (Z' = 2). The molecules in the polymorphs show differences in their molecular conformations and intermolecular interactions. The crystal packing of neutral 1 is dominated by intermolecular O-H...N hydrogen bonds, resulting in the formation of one-dimensional chains. In the crystal structures of the salt forms (2, 3 and 3p), each protonated N atom is engaged in a charge-assisted hydrogen bond with the corresponding anion. The protonation of the N atom also influences the conformation of the molecular linker between the two aromatic rings and changes the orientation of the rings. The crystal packing of the salt forms is dominated by intermolecular O-H...O hydrogen bonds, resulting in the creation of chains and rings. Structural studies have been enriched by the calculation of Hirshfeld surfaces and the corresponding fingerprint plots.

The ups and downs of alkyl-carbamates in epilepsy therapy: How does cenobamate differ?

Since 1955, several alkyl-carbamates have been developed for the treatment of anxiety and epilepsy, including meprobamate, flupirtine, felbamate, retigabine, carisbamate, and cenobamate. They have each enjoyed varying levels of success as antiseizure drugs; however, they have all been plagued by the emergence of serious and sometimes life-threatening adverse events. In this review, we compare and contrast their predominant molecular mechanisms of action, their antiseizure profile, and where possible, their clinical efficacy. The preclinical, clinical, and mechanistic profile of the prototypical γ-aminobutyric acidergic (GABAergic) modulator phenobarbital is included for comparison. Like phenobarbital, all of the clinically approved alkyl-carbamates share an ability to enhance inhibitory neurotransmission through modulation of the GABA_A receptor, although the specific mechanism of interaction differs among the different drugs discussed. In addition, several alkyl-carbamates have been shown to interact with voltage-gated ion channels. Flupirtine and retigabine share an ability to activate K⁺ currents mediated by KCNQ (Kv7) K⁺ channels, and felbamate, carisbamate, and cenobamate have been shown to block Na⁺ channels. In contrast to other alkyl-carbamates, cenobamate seems to be unique in its ability to preferentially attenuate the persistent rather than transient Na⁺ current. Results from recent randomized controlled clinical trials with cenobamate suggest that this newest antiseizure alkyl-carbamate possesses a degree of efficacy not witnessed since felbamate was approved in 1993. Given that ceno-bamate's mechanistic profile is unique among the alkyl-carbamates, it is not clear whether this impressive efficacy reflects an as yet undescribed mechanism of action or whether it possesses a unique synergy between its actions at the GABA_A receptor and on persistent Na⁺ currents. The high efficacy of cenobamate is, however, tempered by the risk of serious rash and low tolerability at higher doses, meaning that further safety studies and clinical experience are needed to determine the true clinical value of cenobamate.

Recent advancement in the discovery and development of anti-epileptic biomolecules: An insight into structure activity relationship and Docking

Although there have been many advancements in scientific research and development, the cause of epilepsy still remains an open challenge. In spite of high throughput research in the field of anti-epileptic drugs, efficacy void is still prevalent before the researchers. Researchers have persistently been exploring all the possibilities to curb undesirable side effects of the anti-epileptic drugs or looking for a more substantial approach to diminish or cure epilepsy. The drug development has shown a hope to medicinal chemists and researchers to carry further research by going through a substantial literature survey. This review article attempts to describe the recent developments in the anti-epileptic agents, pertaining to different molecular scaffolds considering their structure-activity relationship, docking studies and their mechanism of actions.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 2,3-dihydro-5,6-dimethoxy-1H-inden-1-one and piperazinium salt hybrid derivatives as hAChE and hBuChE enzyme inhibitors

2,3-Dihydro-5,6-dimethoxy-2-[4-(4-alkyl-4-methylpiperazinium-1-yl)benzylidine]-1H-inden-1-one halide salt derivatives as a novel donepezil hybrid analogs with the property of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) enzyme inhibition were designed and synthesized via N-alkylation reaction of 2,3-dihydro-5,6-dimethoxy-2-[4-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)benzylidene]-1H-inden-1-one with some alkyl halides. Biological tests demonstrated that most of the synthesized compounds have moderate to good inhibitory activities effect on cholinesterase enzymes. Among them, 10e showed the best profile as a selected compound for inhibition of hAChE (IC50 = 0.32) and hBuChE (IC50 = 0.43 μM) enzymes. Kinetic analysis and molecular docking led to a better understanding of this compound. Kinetic studies disclosed that 10e inhibited acetylcholinesterase in mixed-type and butyrylcholinesterase in non-competitive type. The toxicity results showed that 10e is less toxic than donepezil and has better inhibitory activity against hBuChE when compared to donepezil or Galantamine. Other performed experiments revealed that 10e has an anti-β amyloid effect which is capable of reducing ROS, LDH and MDA also possing positive effect on TAC. On the other hand, it has shown a good anti-inflammation effect.

NMR-based investigations of acyl-functionalized piperazines concerning their conformational behavior in solution

Selected N-benzoylated piperazine compounds were synthesized to study their conformational behavior using temperature-dependent 1H NMR spectroscopy. All investigated piperazines occur as conformers at room temperature resulting from the restricted rotation of the partial amide double bond. In the case of selected mono-N-benzoylated and unsymmetrically N,N'-substituted derivatives, the appearance of the 1H NMR spectrum was further shaped by the limited interconversion of the piperazine chair conformations. Therefore, two different coalescence points T C were determined and their resulting activation energy barriers ΔG ‡ were calculated to be between 56 and 80 kJ mol-1. In most of the cases, T C and ΔG ‡ for the amide site appeared to be higher than the corresponding values for the ring inversion. The influences of substituents on rotational and inversion barriers were analyzed by correlation to Hammett constants. The obtained results are discussed and interpreted in the context of literature data. An additional aryl substituent connected at the amine site led to reduced rotational and inversion barriers compared to the free secondary amine. To support and evidence the findings from the NMR analyses, single crystals of selected piperazines were obtained and XRD analyses were performed. To underline the results, two potential TGase 2 inhibitors were investigated showing energy barriers with similar values.

Discovery of potent anti-convulsant carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: Design, synthesis, in vitro and in vivo appraisal

We report the design, synthesis and pharmacological assessment of novel benzenesulfonamide derivatives acting as effective carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitors. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their CA inhibitory action against four isoforms of human origin (h), i.e. hCA I, hCA II, hCA VII and hCA IX. In-vitro carbonic anhydrase inhibition studies have shown that first series, 4-(2-(4-(4-substitutedpiperazin-1-yl)benzylidene)hydrazinyl)benzenesulfonamides (4a- 4i) bestowed low nanomolar range to medium nanomolar range inhibitors against hCA II and hCA VII, effectively involved in epileptogenesis. Furthermore, compounds belonging to the second series, 4-(2-(4-(4-substitutedpiperazin-yl)benzylidene)hydrazinecarbonyl)benzenesulfonamides (8a-8k) showed effective inhibition against hCA VII, being less effective against other hCA isoforms. Inspiring with obtained CA inhibition results, we have chosen some of the potent hCA II and hCA VII inhibitors (4g, 4i and 8d) to test their anti-convulsant efficacy in MES and sc-PTZ seizure tests in Swiss Albino male mice. In result, these compounds significantly attenuated both electrical (MES) as well as chemical (sc-PTZ) induced seizures. Next, in advance anticonvulsant tests, compound 8d displayed long duration of action in time course study and successfully attenuated MES induced seizure in mice up to 6 h after drug administration without showing neurotoxicity in rotarod test. Moreover, this compound was also found to be orally active and effectively abolished generalized tonic-clonic seizures in male Wistar rats upon oral administration, being non-toxic in sub acute toxicity studies.

Discovery of Benzenesulfonamide Derivatives as Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors with Effective Anticonvulsant Action: Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation

Two series of novel benzenesulfonamide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their human carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitory activity against four isoforms, hCA I, hCA II, hCA VII, and hCA IX. It was found that compounds of both series showed low to medium nanomolar inhibitory potential against all isoforms. Some of these derivatives displayed selective inhibition against the epileptogenesis related isoforms hCA II and VII, within the nanomolar range. These potent hCA II and VII inhibitors were evaluated as anticonvulsant agents against MES and sc-PTZ induced convulsions. These sulfonamides effectively abolished induced seizures in both models. Furthermore, time dependent seizure protection capability of the most potent compound was also evaluated. A long duration of action was displayed, with efficacy up to 6 h after drug administration. The compound appeared as an orally active anticonvulsant agent without showing neurotoxicity in a rotarod test, a nontoxic chemical profile being observed in subacute toxicity study.

Discovery of Benzenesulfonamides with Potent Human Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitory and Effective Anticonvulsant Action: Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Assessment

We report two series of novel benzenesulfonamide derivatives acting as effective carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitors. The synthesized compounds were tested against human (h) isoforms hCA I, hCA II, hCA VII, and hCA XII. The first series of compounds, 4-(3-(2-(4-substitued piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)ureido)benzenesulfonamides, showed low nanomolar inhibitory action against hCA II, being less effective against the other isoforms. The second series, 2-(4-substitued piperazin-1-yl)-N-(4-sulfamoylphenyl)acetamide derivatives, showed low nanomolar inhibitory activity against hCA II and hCA VII, isoforms involved in epileptogenesis. Some of these derivatives were evaluated for their anticonvulsant activity and displayed effective seizure protection against MES and scPTZ induced seizures in Swiss Albino mice. These sulfonamides were also found effective upon oral administration to Wistar rats and inhibited MES induced seizure episodes in this animal model of the disease. Some of the new compounds showed a long duration of action in the performed time course anticonvulsant studies, being nontoxic in subacute toxicity studies.

Design, synthesis, in silico and biological evaluation of novel 2-(4-(4-substituted piperazin-1-yl)benzylidene)hydrazine carboxamides

A series of novel 2-(4-(4-substituted piperazin-1-yl)benzylidene)hydrazinecarboxamide derivatives has been successfully designed and synthesized to evaluate their potential as carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitors. The inhibitory potential of synthesized compounds against human CAI and CAII was evaluated. Compounds 3a-n exhibited [Formula: see text] values between [Formula: see text] against CAI and [Formula: see text] against CAII. Compound 3g was the most active inhibitor, with an [Formula: see text] value of [Formula: see text] against CAII. Molecular docking studies of compound 3g with CAII showed this compound fits nicely in the active site of CAII and it interacts with the zinc ion ([Formula: see text]) along with three histidine residues in the active site. Molecular dynamics simulation studies of compound 3g complexed with CAII also showed essential interactions which were maintained up to 40 ns of simulation. In vivo sub-acute toxicity study using 3g (300 mg/kg) was found non-toxic in adult Wistar rats.

Design, synthesis, in-silico and biological evaluation of novel donepezil derivatives as multi-target-directed ligands for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

A novel series of donepezil based multi-functional agents "(E)-5,6-dimethoxy-2-(4-(4-substituted piperazin-1-yl)benzylidene)-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ones" have been designed and synthesized as potential anti-Alzheimer's agents. In-vitro studies revealed that these compounds demonstrated moderate to good AChE and Aβ aggregation inhibitory activity. These derivatives are also endowed with admirable antioxidant activity. Among the entire series compounds IP-9, IP-13 and IP-15 appeared as most active multi-functional agents and displayed marked AChE inhibitory, Aβ disaggregation and antioxidant activity. Studies indicate that IP-13 and IP-15 showed better AChE inhibitory activity than the standard drug donepezil and IP-9, IP-13 as well as IP-15 exhibited better Aβ aggregation inhibitory activity than curcumin. These compounds (IP-9, IP-13 and IP-15) successfully diminished H₂O₂ induced oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells and displayed excellent neuroprotective activity against H₂O₂ as well as Aβ induced toxicity in SH-SY5Y cells in a concentration dependent manner. Moreover, these derivatives did not exert any significant toxicity in neuronal SH-SY5Y cells in cytotoxicity assay. To elucidate the plausible binding mode of the compounds IP-9, IP-13 and IP-15, molecular docking studies and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies were also performed and the results indicate their significant interactions with the active sites of AChE as well as Aβ_1-42 peptide. Thus, the present study evidently showed that IP-9, IP-13 and IP-15 are potent multi-functional agents against Alzheimer's disease and might serve as promising lead candidates for anti-Alzheimer drug development.

Piperazine scaffold: A remarkable tool in generation of diverse pharmacological agents

Piperazine is one of the most sought heterocyclics for the development of new drug candidates. This ring can be traced in a number of well established, commercially available drugs. Wide array of pharmacological activities exhibited by piperazine derivatives have made them indispensable anchors for the development of novel therapeutic agents. The review herein highlights the therapeutic significance of piperazine derivatives. Various therapeutically active piperazine derivatives developed by several chemists are reported here.