Coumarin congeners as antidepressants.

3-Carboethyl coumarin (I) was converted to coumarin 3-acid hydrazide (II). This on reaction with appropriate aldehyde yielded 3-arylidino amino coumarin (III). Compound III on diazotisation and reaction with ferric chloride yielded the corresponding formazans viz. 3-substituted phenyl azoarylidino, amido coumarins (IVa1-a10) and oxadiazoles viz. 2-aryl-5-(3-coumarinyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles (Va1-a3), respectively. Simultaneously 3-carboethyl coumarin on hydrolysis gave 3-carboxy coumarin (VI) which on reaction with aryl amine in methylene chloride yielded 3-(N-aryl)amido coumarin (VIIa1-a3). The compounds were screened for their antidepressant activity against a tricyclic antidepressant (imipramine). Compounds IVa4, IVa5 and IVa9 exhibited activity better than imipramine with no toxicity (ALD50 greater than 1000 mg/kg) but IVa5 showed some side effects.