Antioxidant Activity, Acetylcholinesterase, and Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitory Properties of Novel Ureas Derived from Phenethylamines

A series of ureas derived from phenethylamines were synthesized and evaluated for human carbonic anhydrase (hCA) I and II, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzyme inhibitory activities and antioxidant properties. The ureas were synthesized from the reactions of substituted phenethylamines with N,N‐dimethylcarbamoyl chloride; then, the synthesized compounds were converted to their corresponding phenolic derivatives via O‐demethylation. hCA I and II were effectively inhibited by the newly synthesized compounds, with Ki values in the range of 0.307–0.432 nM for hCA I and 0.149–0.278 nM for hCA II. On the other hand, the Ki parameters of these compounds for AChE and BChE were determined in the range of 0.129–0.434 and 0.095–0.207 nM, respectively. Phenolic ureas also showed good antioxidant activities.