A benzylidene mannopyranoside derivative with antitumor activity in the spontaneous mammary tumor system

Methyl 2,3,4,6-di-O-benzylidene alpha-D-mannopyranoside (MeDBMP) was synthesized to evaluate its potential as a cytotoxic benzaldehyde liberating agent. MeDBMP was found to cause significant reductions in the sizes of spontaneous mouse mammary carcinomas and to produce long term alterations in their growth characteristics. It was nontoxic at all doses examined and possessed no mutagenic properties in the Ames Salmonella/mammalian-microsome test.