22-azidosalvinorin A exhibits antidepressant-like effect in mice.

The increasing cases of depression has made the searches for new drugs and understanding of the underligning neurobiology of this psychiatric disorder a necessity. Here, we modified the structure of salvinorin A (a known halucinogen) and investigated antidepressant-like activity of its four derivatives; 22-methylsulfanylsalvinorin A(SA1), 2-O-cinnamoylsalvinorin B (CSB), 22-azidosalvinorin A (SA2), and 2-O-(4-azidophenylsulfonyl)salvinorin B (SA3). Prior to behavioural tests (Irwin test, open field test - OFT, forced swimming test - FST and tail suspension test - TST), SA1 was prepared by reacting salvinorin B and methylthioacetic acid with 89% yield; CSB was obtained from the reaction of salvinorin B and cinnamic acid with 92% yield; SA2 was obtained from the reaction of salvinorin B and azidoacetic acid with 81% yield; and SA3 was prepared by reacting salvinorin B with 4-azidophenylsulfonyl chloride with 80% yield.