Butyrophenone is an
organic compound
In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. T ...
with the formula C
6H
5C(O)C
3H
7. It is a colorless liquid.
The butyrophenone structure—a
ketone flanked by a
phenyl ring and a
butyl chain—forms the basis for many other chemicals containing various
substituents. Some of these butyrophenones are used to treat various psychiatric disorders such as
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...
, as well as acting as
antiemetics
An antiemetic is a drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea. Antiemetics are typically used to treat motion sickness and the side effects of opioid analgesics, general anaesthetics, and chemotherapy directed against cancer. They may be ...
.
Examples of butyrophenone-derived pharmaceuticals include:
*
Haloperidol
Haloperidol, sold under the brand name Haldol among others, is a typical antipsychotic medication. Haloperidol is used in the treatment of schizophrenia, tics in Tourette syndrome, mania in bipolar disorder, delirium, agitation, acute psychosi ...
, the most widely used classical antipsychotic drug in this class
*
Benperidol, the most potent commonly used antipsychotic (200 times more potent than
chlorpromazine
Chlorpromazine (CPZ), marketed under the brand names Thorazine and Largactil among others, is an antipsychotic medication. It is primarily used to treat psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Other uses include the treatment of bipolar di ...
)
*
Droperidol,
Antiemetic
An antiemetic is a drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea. Antiemetics are typically used to treat motion sickness and the side effects of opioid analgesics, general anaesthetics, and chemotherapy directed against cancer. They m ...
for
postoperative nausea and vomiting
References
Aromatic ketones
Phenyl compounds
{{Ketone-stub