N-Substituted amino acid N′-benzylamides: synthesis, anticonvulsant, and metabolic activities Original Research Article

Amino acid amides (AAA) were prepared and evaluated in seizure models. The AAA displayed moderate-to-excellent activity in the maximal electroshock seizure (MES) test and were devoid of activity in the subcutaneous Metrazol-induced (scMet) seizure test. The AAA anticonvulsant activity was neither strongly influenced by the C(2) substituent nor by the degree of terminal amine substitution. An in vitro metabolism study suggested that the structure–activity relationship pattern was due, in part, to metabolic processes that occurred at the N-terminal amine unit.