Tetrazoles represent a class of five-membered heterocyclic compounds with polynitrogen electron-rich planar structural features. This special structure makes tetrazole derivatives useful drugs, explosives, and other functional materials with a wide range of applications in many fields of medicine, agriculture, material science, etc. Based on our research works on azoles and other references in recent years, this review covers reported work on the synthesis and biological activities of tetrazole derivatives.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer for females and its incidence tends to increase year by year.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major neurodegenerative disease, but so far, it can only be treated symptomatically rather than changing the process of the disease. Recently, triazoles and their derivatives have been shown to have potential for the treatment of AD. In this study, the neuroprotective effects of 4-(4-(heptyloxy)phenyl)-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-one (W112) against β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced AD pathology and its possible mechanism were explored both in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that W112 exhibits a neuroprotective role against Aβ-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells and improves the learning and memory abilities of Aβ-induced AD-like rats. In addition, the assays of the protein expression revealed that W112 reversed tau hyperphosphorylation and reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, both in vitro and in vivo studies. Further study indicated that the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase/nuclear factor-κB pathways played a key role in mediating the neuroprotective effects of W112 against AD-like pathology. W112 may become a potential drug for AD intervention.

Epilepsy affects about 1% of the world's population. Due to the fact all antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have some undesirable side effects and about 30% of epileptic patients are not seizure-free with the existing AEDs, there is still an urgent need for the development of more effective and safer AEDs. Based on our research work on antiepileptic compounds and other references in recent years, this review covers the reported work on antiepileptic compounds which are classified according to their structures. This review summarized 244 significant anticonvulsant compounds which are classified by functional groups according to the animal model data, although there are some limitations in the data. This review highlights the properties of new compounds endowed with promising antiepileptic properties, which may be proven to be more effective and selective, and possibly free of unwanted side effects. The reviewed compounds represent an interesting possibility to overcome refractory seizures and to reduce the percentage of patients with a poor response to drug therapy.

In the present study we describe the syntheses and anticonvulsant activity evaluation of 5-phenyl-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-c]quinazolin-3-amine derivatives. Their anticonvulsant activity and neurotoxicity were evaluated by the maximal electroshock seizure test (MES) and the rotarod test, respectively. The majority of the compounds prepared were effective in the MES screens at a dose level of 100 mg/kg. Of these compounds, the most promising was compound 8h, which showed an ED(50) value of 27.4 mg/kg and a protective index (PI) value of 5.8. These values were superior to those provided by valproate (ED(50) and PI values of 272 and 1.6, respectively) in the MES test in mice. As well as its anti-MES efficacy, the potencies of compound 8h against seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole and thiosemicarbazide were also established, with the results suggesting that the GABAergic system-mediated mechanisms might be involved in its anticonvulsant activity.