2-Ethyl-2-phenylmalondiamide

The anticonvulsant agent primidone (4.246) is the 2-dihydro derivative of phenobarbital (4.247), which is one of its metabolites. The second major metabolite, 2-ethyl-2-phenylmalondiamide (4.248), is produced by a double C-N cleavage [160]. The profile of plasma levels in rats strongly suggests that 2-ethyl-2-phenylmalondiamide is not derived from the metabolite phenobarbital, but directly from primidone. Indeed, a C(2)-hydroxylated metabolite serves as an intermediate for both detected metabolites (see also Chapt. 6 in [21]). N-Alkyl derivatives of primidone yield a greater proportion of ring-opened metabolites, an observation explained by their higher susceptibility to oxidative metabolism at C(2) [161]. 

Primidone, anticonvulsant. Rabbit. Oxidation and ring opening. Ethyl-phenylmalondiamide (48% of dose), UP (20% of dose), and phenobarbital (m), in urine. Accumulation of phenobarbital noted upon repeated administration. 

The anticonvulsant primidone (1035) resembles phenobarbital but lacks the 2-oxo substituent. It was introduced in 1952 and has remained a valuable drug for controlling grand mal and psychomotor epilepsy. As might be expected, primidone is metabolized to yield phenobarbital (1034 X = 0) and C-ethyl-C-phenylmalondiamide (1036), both of which have marked anticonvulsant properties however, primidone does have intrinsic activity and an appropriate mixture of its metabolites has only a fraction of its activity (73MI21303). Primidone may be made in several ways, of which desulfurization by Raney nickel of the 2-thiobarbiturate (1034 X = S) or treatment of the diamide (1036) with formic acid (at 190 °C) seem to be the most satisfactory (54JCS3263). 

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