Anticonvulsant properties of various acetylhydrazones, oxamoylhydrazones and semicarbazones derived from aromatic and unsaturated carbonyl compounds

Various acetylhydrazones, oxamoylhydrazones and semicarbazones were prepared as candidate anticonvulsants with a view to examining the viability of a putative binding site hypothesis. Atomic charge calculations were undertaken to determine the hydrogen bonding capacities of various molecules. The biological results obtained revealed that in general the acetylhydrazones and semicarbazones afforded good protection against convulsions while the oxamoylhydrazones were significantly less active. These data suggest that terminal electron-donating groups enhanced the hydrogen bonding capabilities and anticonvulsant properties of these molecules. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.