Redox-active Selenoglycoconjugates: Synthetic strategies, biological evaluation, and preliminary insights from mannose-derived analogues

Selenoglycoconjugates are an emerging class of hybrid molecules that combine selenium-containing carbohydrate scaffolds with phenolic moieties to generate structurally tunable compounds with distinctive redox and biological properties. This review discusses the rationale, synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation of hydroxycinnamic acid-based selenoglycoconjugates, with particular emphasis on ribose- and mannose-derived analogues. Literature data on selenium redox chemistry, selenosugar synthesis, and phenol-selenoglycoconjugate construction are integrated with original, previously unpublished data on the radical-scavenging and cellular redox activities of newly synthesized mannose-derived analogues. Comparison of cell-free radical-scavenging assays with cellular MTT-derived redox responses reveals how structural variations differentially influence antioxidant activity and cellular redox behaviour. This comparative structure–activity perspective highlights the need to distinguish direct antioxidant capacity from broader cellular redox modulation. The available evidence highlights selenoglycoconjugates as versatile molecular platforms for the rational design of selenium-based bioactive compounds at the interface of organic chemistry and biology.