Phenoxyacetic acid scaffold as a platform for dual anticonvulsant and anti-inflammatory drug design. (PubMed, RSC Med Chem)
ADME and ProTox-3.0 predictions suggested favorable drug-likeness and low acute oral toxicity, while molecular docking indicated that the lead compound 7b established stable interactions with voltage-gated calcium channels and cyclooxygenase-2, exhibiting binding modes comparable to sodium valproate and celecoxib, respectively. Remarkable anticonvulsant efficacy was observed in both the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced seizure model and pilocarpine-induced seizure model, where 7b afforded 90% seizure protection with complete prevention of mortality, delayed seizure onset by 156.43%, reduced seizure severity by 70.53%, and achieved 100% survival, surpassing sodium valproate. Mechanistically, 7b markedly attenuated hippocampal neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity, reducing TNF-α, IL-6, and glutamate levels while suppressing glial activation markers glial fibrillary acidic protein and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1, confirming pronounced neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammatory effects.