**Abstract**

Taking into account that the imidazole ring has π-electron redundancy, condensed benzimidazole derivatives have attracted our attention as a promising class for the search for antioxidant substances. Synthesis was carried out, and information on the antioxidant activity of imidazo- and tetrahydropyrimido benzimidazoles was provided. Highly active antioxidant substance enoxifol has been revealed. The data on the synthesis and study of the pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological properties of the new antioxidant compound enoxifol are presented. The antioxidant activity of the compound is due to its ability to inactivate superoxide, hydroxyl, and peroxyl radicals, thereby reducing the overall oxidation rate due to a decrease in the total initiation rate. It has been shown that enoxifol has hepatoprotector, antihypoxic, cerebroprotective, nootropic, stressprotective, neuropsychotropic, actoprotective, cardioprotective, antiaggregant, and antithrombogenic properties and is able to prevent rheological disorders in diabetes mellitus.

**Keywords:** benzimidazoles, antioxidant, free radicals, enoxifol

## **1. Introduction**

Currently, the fact that considered the leading role of free radical processes in the pathogenesis of more than 200 diseases has been established. Special attention is paid to damage to the brain tissue due to their particular sensitivity to disruption of oxygen balance and redox balance. The chain character of the reactions of lipid peroxidation (LPO) causes the appearance of a whole cascade of reactive oxygen forms, including superoxide, hydroxyl, and perhydroxyl radicals, singlet oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and their active metabolites (nitrogen oxide, hypochlorite, etc.). The result is a violation of the integrity and permeability of the cell membrane and the destruction of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids, the cell genome suffers, and degenerative changes and neuron death develop. The processes of lipid peroxidation underlie most of the diseases of the central nervous system, which include acute and chronic disorders of cerebral blood circulation, degenerative diseases of the brain and spinal cord, cancer pathology, etc. [1, 2].

Antioxidants, both endogenous and exogenous substances, limit LPO processes. Today, in practical health care, antioxidant preparations of natural origin and

synthetic compounds are used [3]. It should be noted that the group of drugs related to natural antioxidants has found quite wide application in clinical practice. At the same time, there is a clear shortage of synthetic antioxidant drugs. In view of the abovementioned, the emergence of a new effective antioxidant compound should arouse the interest of qualified specialists.
