Synthesis and serotonin antagonist and antianexity activities of pyrrolidine derivatives from 4-hydrazinyl-1-p-substituted phenyl-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrole-3-carbonitriles

N-(p-substituted phenyl)-4-cyanopyrrolidin-3-ones and their corresponding hydrazines were prepared and used as starting materials to synthesize heterocyclic candidates as serotonin antagonist and antianexity agents. Condensation of hydrazines with selected aromatic aldehydes afforded the corresponding Schiff bases. The hydrazines were treated with phenyl isothiocyanate to afford the corresponding thiosemicarbazides, which were cyclized with ethyl bromoacetate to N- phenylthiazolidinones. The hydrazine was reacted with 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorophthalic anhydride to give the tetrachloroimide derivative. It was reacted with benzoyl acetonitrile, 2-(bismethylsulfanyl-methylene) malononitrile, 2- ethoxymethylenemalononitrile, or 2-cyano-3-ethoxyacrylic acid ethyl ester to afford the corresponding pyrazoline derivatives. Schiff bases were obtained by simple condensation of the hydrazine with different carbonyl compounds. All the compounds were screened for their serotonin antagonistic and antianexity activities, and they showed high activities compared to buspirone and diazepam as controls.