Synthesis and biological evaluation of 5-membered spiro heterocycle-benzopyran derivatives against myocardial ischemia

► We synthesised a limited series of 5-membered spiroheterocycles-benzopyran as new potential tool to study myocardial-ischemia. ► The compounds were evaluated for their cardioprotective activity on cultured H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. ► The evaluation of the activity of the most active compound 1a on rat hearts submitted to ischemia/reperfusion cycles showed that mitoKATP channel is involved in cardioprotection. ► The structural contraction of the lead compound A does not affect the cardioprotective activity, thus indicating that also the spiro-oxazolidinone scaffold represents a valid structural motif to offer cardioprotection.