Cannabidiol and phenytoin: a structural comparison.

Conformational energy maps have been computed for the antiepileptic agents phenytoin and cannabidiol by the quantum-mechanical method of perturbative configuration interaction with localized orbitals (PCILO). The computation indicates that the spatial relationship between the two rings in the two drugs is similar and close to the respective structures in the crystal. This is supported by 1H and 13C NMR measurements. Hence, both compounds fulfill the stereochemical requirements suggested for anticonvulsant drug action.