Synthetic analogues of xanthohumol

Compounds of general formula (i):

• wherein:
• R1 and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of H;
• methyl;
• straight or branched alkyl from 2 to 10 carbon atoms;
• straight or branched alkyl from 2 to 10 carbon atoms containing 1 or 2 insaturations;
• cycloalkyl from 4 to 6 carbon atoms;
• cycloalkyl from 4 to 6 carbon atoms containing 1 or 2 insaturations;
• alkoxyalkyl selected from the group consisting of CH3OCH2—, CH3OCH2CH2— or CH3(OCH2CH2)n—, CH3(NHCH2CH2)n—, CH3(CH2)nCO(NHCH2CH2)n—, CH3(CH2)nSO2(NHCH2CH2)n—, HN(CH2CH2)2N—(CH2CH2)n—, CH3N(CH2CH2)2N—(CH2CH2)n—, CH3(CH2)nCO—N(CH2CH2)2N—(CH2CH2)n, CH3(CH2)nSO2—N(CH2CH2)2N—(CH2CH2)n—, O(CH2CH2)2N—(CH2CH2)n—;
• benzyl;
• benzyl optionally substituted in any of the free positions of the ring by 1 to 5 halogen atoms independently selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br, I;
• benzyl substituted with —NH2, —NHCH3, —NHCOCH3, —NHCO-alkyl, —NHSO2CH3, —NHSO2-alkyl, —SO2CH3, —SO2-alkyl, —SO2NHCH3, —SO2NHCO-alkyl, —NO2, —OCH3, —CO2H, —CONHCH3, —CONH-alkyl, —CO2CH3, —CO2-alkyl, —CONHSO2CH3, —CONHSO2—alkyl, alkyl being as defined above;
• n is an integer ranging from 1 to 5;
• A is a monocyclic or bicyclic aryl, or an aromatic or non-aromatic heterocyclic ring selected from the group consisting of pyrrole, pyrrolidine, 3-pyrroline, 2H-pyrrole, 2-pyrroline, indole, isoindole, 3H-indole, indolizine, indoline, carbazole, furan, benzofuran, isobenzofuran, 2H-pyran, 4H-pyran, benzo[b]thiophene, thiophene, pyridine, piperidine, 4H-quinolizine, isoquinoline, quinoline, tetrahydroquinoline, 1,8-naphthyridine, acridine, oxazole, isoxazole, benzoxazole, benzothiazole, isothiazole, thiazole, imidazole, 2-imidazole, imidazolidine, tetrazole, 1,2,3-triazole, 1,2,4-triazole, 1,2,3-oxadiazole, benzimidazole, purine, 1,4-dioxane, 1,3-dioxolane, 1,3-dithiane, 1,4-dithiane, 1,3,5-trithiane, morpholine, thiomorpholine, phenothiazine, pyrazole, 2-pyrazoline, pyrazolidine, quinazoline, cinnoline, pyrimidine, pyrazine, pteridine, phthalazine, 1,2,4-triazine, 1,3,5-triazine, pyridazine, piperazine, quinoxaline, phenazine, 1H-indazole,
• wherein the substituents on ring A, independently from each other, are selected from the group consisting of H, —O-alkyl, —OCH3, Cl, F, Br, I, —NO2, —NH2, —NHCH3, —NH-alkyl, —NHCOCH3, —NHCO-alkyl, —NHSO2CH3, —NHSO2-alkyl, —SO2CH3, —SO2-alkyl, —SO2NH2, —SO2NHCH3, —SO2NH-alkyl, —SO2NHCOCH3, —SO2NHCO-alkyl, —CO2H, —CONHCH3, —CONH-alkyl, —CO2CH3, —CO2-alkyl, —CONHSO2CH3, —CONHSO2-alkyl, alkyl being as defined above for R1 and R2;
• wherein at least one of the substituents on the A ring is H;
• provided that the compound of general formula (i) is not:
• (E)-3-phenyl-1-(2,4,6-trimethoxy-3-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)phenyl)prop-2-en-1-one;
• or
• (E)-3-phenyl-1-(2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethoxy-3-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)phenyl)prop-2-en-1-one;
• tautomers, pharmaceutically acceptable salts and pro-drugs thereof.