Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of new 2-glyco-3-nitro-2H-chromenes.

• New 2-glyco-6-halo-3-nitro-2 H -chromenes have been synthesized using DBU as catalyst. • Antiproliferative activity and cytotoxicity of new compounds have been studied. • Carbohydrate moiety at C-2 modulates the antiproliferative activity of the chromenes. 3-nitro-2 H -chromenes and derivatives are compounds with diverse biological activity, among them, new 2-glyco-3-nitro-2 H -chromenes have been prepared by one-pot oxa -Michael-Henry-dehydration reactions between carbohydrate-derived nitroalkenes and several salicylaldehydes, using a minimal amount of solvent and DBU as catalyst. The antiproliferative activity of these new compounds has been evaluated against a panel of six human solid tumor cell lines, and compared to pharmacological reference compounds, finding that their activities are in the low micromolar range and that some of them are more effective than the standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]