The present invention provides 5-arylalkyl-4-alkoxy-2(5H)-furanones of the formula: IMAGE (I) wherein the oxygen atoms on C-5 and C- alpha , relative to one another, are in the threo-position, with the exclusion of those compounds of the formula (I) wherein R2 is H or CH3 when n=0 or 2, Ro=H, R1=CH3, R3=H and R4=H. The present invention also provides processes for their preparation, as well as new 3-alkoxy-5-(subst.)-phenyl-2(E), 4(E)-pentadienoates as reactive intermediates for the preparation of the new furanone derivatives. The new furanone derivatives of the threo series are active as anticonvulsives/anti-epileptics. Therefore, the present invention also provides medicaments which contain these new furanone derivatives, as well as known furanones, the anticonvulsive/anti-epileptic effectiveness of which has been found for the first time.
展开▼
