Structurally Related Edaravone Analogues: Synthesis, Antiradical, Antioxidant, and Copper-Chelating Properties

The current therapeutic options available to patients diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) are limited and edaravone is a compound that has gained significant interest for its therapeutic potential in this condition.

The current work was thus undertaken to synthesize and characterize a series of edaravone analogues.

A total of 17 analogues were synthesized and characterized for their antioxidant properties, radical scavenging potential and copper-chelating capabilities.

Radical scavenging and copper-chelating properties were notably observed for edaravone. Analogues bearing hydrogen in position 1 and a phenyl at position 3 and a phenyl in both positions of pyrazol-5 (4H)-one displayed substantial radical scavenging, antioxidants and copper-chelating properties. High accessibility of electronegative groups combined with higher electronegativity and partial charge of the carbonyl moiety in edaravone might explain the observed difference in the activity of edaravone relative to the closely related analogues 6 and 7 bearing hydrogen at position 1 and a phenyl at position 3 (6) and a phenyl in both positions (7).

Overall, this study reveals a subset of edaravone analogues with interesting properties. Further investigation of these compounds is foreseen in relevant models of oxidative stress-associated diseases in order to assess their therapeutic potential in such conditions.