Para-Aminobenzohydrazide Derivatives as Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation

The endocannabinoid system plays an important neuromodulatory role in the periphery and central nervous system, which can regulate several physiological processes. The inhibition of enzymatic activities responsible for hydrolysis anandamide and other endogenous fatty acid amides, enhances cannabinoid receptors activity indirectly that may prove to be useful drugs for the treatment of range of ailments including pain, anxiety, and other central nervous system disorders. In this study, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated novel fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors based on 4-aminobenzohydrazide derivatives. Most of the synthesized compounds exhibited a proper affinity for the catalytic triad of FAAH in docking studies and had a considerable in-vitro FAAH inhibitory activity in comparison with JZL-195, a potent inhibitor of FAAH. Compound 2-(2-(4-(2-carboxybenzamido)benzoyl)hydrazine-1-carbonyl)benzoic acid, 12, was found to be the most potent inhibitor with IC50 value of 1.62 nM targeting FAAH enzyme.