[Synthesis and antidepressive activity study of aryl and heteroaryl carboxamides of benzylpiperazine].

The synthesis of 44 original amide derivatives of benzylpiperazine and some analogues of befuraline and piberaline is reported. All compounds have been tested as antidepressive agents. According to the tests, amides 1, 24 and mainly 31 (dihydrobefuraline) seem to provide elevated antidepressive activity.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of novel arylalkyl 4-benzyl piperazine derivatives as sigma site selective ligands.

Continuing our previous work that established that some chromones substituted by an aryl alkyl piperazino alkyl side chain are potent and selective sigma ligands and could be interesting in the treatment of psychosis, we synthesized 60 new compounds, replacing the chromone moiety by various cyclic systems. Many derivatives bind to the sigma sites in the nanomolar range and are generally selective in comparison with 5HT(1A) and the D(2) receptors. One of the most potent ligands of these series, 1-(2-naphthyl methyl)-4-benzyl piperazine 29, has been studied in various pharmacological tests.