Functionalized DL-amino acid derivatives. Potent new agents for the treatment of epilepsy.

Structural analogues of the potent known anticonvulsant agent N-acetyl-DL-alanine N-benzylamide (1a) have been prepared (16 examples). The pharmacological activities of these products were evaluated in the maximal electroshock seizure (MES), the subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole seizure threshold (sc Met), and the rotorod (Tox) tests. The median effective doses (ED50) and the median toxic doses (TD50) for the most active compounds by both intraperitoneal and oral administration are reported. The most active compounds were N-acetyl-DL-phenylglycine N-benzylamide (1d) and N-acetyl-DL-alanine N-m-fluorobenzylamide (1m) along with the parent compound 1a. The ED50 values in the MES test for these three compounds compared well with phenobarbital, while their high TD50 values contributed to their large protective indexes, which approached that of phenytoin. When tested against four convulsant agents, compounds 1a and 1d displayed activity profiles significantly different from those reported for conventionally used antiepileptic drugs.