The present invention provides an antiproliferative compound having a structural formula ##STR00001## where X and Y independently are oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur; R.sup.1 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, carboxylic acid, carboxylate, carboxamide, ester, thioamide, thiolacid, thiolester, saccharide, alkoxy-linked saccharide, amine, sulfonate, sulfate, phosphate, alcohol, ethers or nitriles; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are hydrogen or R.sup.4; R.sup.4 is methyl, benzyl carboxylic acid, benzyl carboxylate, benzyl carboxamide, benzylester, saccharide or amine; and R.sup.1 is alkenyl; where when Y is nitrogen, said nitrogen is substituted with R.sup.6, wherein R.sup.6 is hydrogen or methyl. Also provided are methods for treating a cell proliferative disease and for inducing apoptosis in a cell comprising administering this compound is also provided.