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chemistry, selenosugar synthesis, and phenol-selenoglycoconjugate construction are integrated with original, previously unpublished data on the radical-scavenging and cellular redox activities of newly synthesized mannose-derived analogues.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.