112885-33-3

With the purpose of obtaining more potent and selective gastric prokinetic agents than metoclopramide (1), a new series of N-[(2-morpholinyl)alkyl]benzamides (17-52) were synthesized and their gastric prokinetic activity was evaluated by determining effect on the gastric emptying of phenol red semisolid meal and of resin pellets solid meal in rats and mice. The morpholinyl moiety was newly designed after consideration of the side-chain structure of cisapride (2) and produced the desired activity when coupled with the 4-amino-5-chloro-2-methoxybenzoyl group of both metoclopramide and cisapride. Modification of the substituents of the benzoyl group markedly influenced the activity. In particular, 4-amino-N-[benzyl-2-morpholinyl)methyl]-5-chloro-2-methoxybenzamide (17) and the 4-(dimethylamino) and 2-ethoxy analogues (25 and 29) or 17 showed potent and selective gastric prokinetic activity along with a weak dopamine D2 receptor antagonistic activity.

Compounds of the formula: STR1 wherein R is hydrogen, alkoxycarbonyl, benzyloxycarbonyl, heteroarylalkyl, phenylalkenyl, or --T--(Y)p --R6 (wherein T is single bond or alkylene, Y is oxygen, sulfur or carbonyl, R6 is phenyl, substituted phenyl, naphthyl, or diphenylmethyl, and p is 0 or 1, provided that when T is single bond, p is 0); R1 is halogen, hydroxy, alkoxy, cycloalkyloxy, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, alkoxy interrupted by oxygen or carbonyl, alkylthio, amino, monosubstituted amino, or a substituted alkoxy; R2 is hydrogen; R3 is hydrogen, halogen, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkanoylamino, or nitro; R4 is hydrogen, halogen, nitro, sulfamoyl, alkylsulfamoyl, or dialkylsulfamoyl; or any two adjacent groups of the R1, R2, R3 and R4 may combine to form alkylenedioxy, and the remaining two groups are each hydrogen; R5 is hydrogen or alkyl; X is alkylene; m and n are each 1 or 2; provided that at least one of the groups R2, R3 and R4 is other than hydrogen, and acid addition salts, quaternary ammonium salts and N-oxide derivatives thereof, processes for preparation thereof, and pharmaceutical composition containing the same. Said compounds, salts and N-oxide derivatives thereof show excellent gastrointestinal motility enhancing activity.