Anticonvulsant activity of some xanthone derivatives Original Research Article

A series of appropriate alkanolamine and amide derivatives of xanthone were prepared and evaluated for anticonvulsant activity using maximal electroshock (MES) and subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (scMet) induced seizures, and for neurotoxicity (TOX) using the rotorod test on mice and rats. The most promising compounds seem to be the appropriate aminoalkanolic derivatives of 6-chloroxanthone, among which the R-(−) and S-(+)-2amino-1-propanol derivatives of 6-chloro-2-methylxanthone (2a and 2b) displayed anti-MES activity (in mice) with a protective index (TD50/ED50) of 6.23 < 6.85, corresponding to that of phenytoin, carbamazepine and valproate. The most active compound, 2b, was determined to have an affinity to the benzodiazepine (BDZ) receptor and voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel (VDCC) by using radioligand binding assays. The enantiomeric purities of 2a and 2b were determined using an analytical liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method.