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Antidepressant activity of carbamates and urea derivatives

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Abstract

Thirteen (13) compounds of N-phenyl-O-alkyl carbamates (1 and 3), N,N-diethyl-N′-alkyl/aryl/phenylpiperazinoureas (4–6, 8–12), N-phenyl-N′-phenylpiperazino/imidazoureas (2, 7), and N-ethyl-(N′-phenylpiperazino) thioureas 13 were synthesized and tested for their antidepressant-like activity in mice. It was found that compound N-phenyl-O-heptyl carbamate 1 and N-phenyl-N′-phenylpiperazinourea 2 showed 32.5 and 27.7% antidepressant activity in the forced swim test in mice, respectively. Considering other carbamates it was found that a decrease in alkyl chain length caused a marked decline in the antidepressant activity. Compounds 1–4 show even higher activities in the forced swim test than the standard phenelzine.

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Shahnaz Perveen and Dr. Khalid M. Khan are thankful for the financial support of Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Bonn, Germany and the National Core Group in Chemistry, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. PCSIR Laboratories Complex, Karachi, Shahrah-e-Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, Karachi, 75280, Pakistan

    Shahnaz Perveen & Nighat Afza

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan

    Nasreen Fatima

  3. H. E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, 75270, Pakistan

    Muhammad Aitmaud Khan, Ahsana Dar & Khalid M. Khan

  4. Interfakultäres Institut für Biochemie Der Universität Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Straße 4, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Wolfgang Voelter

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  1. Shahnaz Perveen
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  2. Nasreen Fatima
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  3. Muhammad Aitmaud Khan
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  4. Ahsana Dar
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  5. Khalid M. Khan
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  6. Nighat Afza
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  7. Wolfgang Voelter
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Correspondence to Shahnaz Perveen.

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Perveen, S., Fatima, N., Khan, M.A. et al. Antidepressant activity of carbamates and urea derivatives. Med Chem Res 21, 2709–2715 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00044-011-9797-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00044-011-9797-8

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