Indolyl nicotinic hydrazides and their neurological studies

2-Substituted-indole-3-carboxaldehyde I was cyclised with nicotinic acid hydrazide II with few drops of glacial acetic acid which resulted in 2-substituted-2-methyl-3 (2-substituted-3-indole-3-yl-methylene imino) indolyl aldehyde III. Catalytic reduction of III by Pd/C and hydrazine hydrate (99%) in N,N'-dimethyl formamide (DMF) yielded compound IV. III further underwent reaction with thioglycolic acid and anhydrous ZnCl2 to give VI. Compound VIII were synthesised from IV by the reaction of substituted arylaldehyde in the presence of anhydrous sodium acetate and VII with 2-chloropropionic acid in the presence of Et3N respectively. III underwent cyclisation with chloroacetyl chloride and Et3N in DMF to yield compound V. Diazotisation of III with various substituted arylamines afforded IX. The compounds were evaluated for their C.N.S., anti-parkinsonian and MAO inhibitory activities.