Design, Synthesis and Biological Investigation of Flavone Derivatives as Potential Multi-Receptor Atypical Antipsychotics

The design of a series of novel flavone derivatives was synthesized as potential broad-spectrum antipsychotics by using multi-receptor affinity strategy between dopamine receptors and serotonin receptors. Among them, 7-(4-(4-(6-fluorobenzo[d]isoxazol-3-yl) piperidin- 1-yl) butoxy)-2,2-dimethylchroman-4-one (6j) exhibited a promising preclinical profile. Compound 6j not only showed high affinity for dopamine D(2), D(3), and serotonin 5-HT(1A), 5-HT(2A) receptors, but was also endowed with low to moderate activities on 5-HT(2C), α(1), and H(1) receptors, indicating a low liability to induce side effects such as weight gain, orthostatic hypotension and QT prolongation. In vivo behavioral studies suggested that 6j has favorable effects in alleviating the schizophrenia-like symptoms without causing catalepsy. Taken together, compound 6j has the potential to be further developed as a novel atypical antipsychotic.