National Natural Science Foundation of China [30960458]; Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province of China [LY12C19005, LY13C200006]; Major Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Province of China [2012C11015-2]; Public Welfare of Zhejiang Province of China [2012C21068]; Zhejiang Marine Biotechnology Innovation Team (ZMBIT) [2010R50029]In an effort to develop the potent anticonvulsant agents, a series of novel isatin-1-N-phenylacetamide derivatives was synthesized and screened for their in vivo anticonvulsant activity against maximal electroshock test and evaluated for their neurotoxicity by the rotarod test at the same dose levels. Ten compounds exhibited the anticonvulsant activity. 2-(5-Methyl-2,3-dioxoindolin-1-yl)-N-phenylacetamide (4b) was found to be the most potent compound of the series with an ED50 of 91.3 mg/kg, TD50 of > 1,000 mg/kg, a higher protective index (PI = TD50/ED50, > 11) was gained than the reference drug phenobarbital and carbamazepine. The essential structural features responsible for interaction with receptor site are established within a suggested pharmacophore
