Structure-activity relationship in cinnamamides. 3. Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity evaluation of some derivatives of (E)- and (Z)-m-(trifluoromethyl)cinnamamide

The (E)- and (2)-m-(trifluoromethy1)-a,/I-dimethylcbamamidaensd some of their N-alkyl derivatives were prepared and pharmacologically tested as anticonvulsant agents in order to verify if a ring substituent, like the m-CF3 group, different from a halogen but possessing the same electronic effect could lead to equally active compounds. Some (E)-m-(trifluoromethy1)-a-methyaln-d -non-methyl-substituted-cinnamamidews ere also prepared and tested. In the a,P-dimethyl series the results show that the m-CF3 group leads to producta more active than the one8 unsubstituted on the phenyl ring but still less active than the p-halogen-substituted compounds previously studied. In the a-methyl and non-methyl-substituted series, the trend shows the m-CF3 group being able to produce less toxic and, in some cases, more active products than the previously studied amides