Abstract :
Trehazolin (1) is a unique natural pseudodisaccharide possessing strong trehalase-specific inhibitory activity. To determine its argued correct stereochemistry, the syntheses of trehazolin (1), its components, the aglycon moiety, trehalamine (4) and its aminocyclitol hexaacetate (6), were accomplished from d-glucose using intramolecular [3+2] cycloaddition as the key step. In order to investigate the structure–activity relationships with regard to the stereochemistry of the aminocyclitol moiety and that of the anomeric position of trehazolin (1), trehalostatin (2) (trehazolin C-5 epimer), trehazolin β-anomer (32) and, trehazolin C-6 epimer (33) were all synthesized. In particular, with respect to the synthesis of trehazolin C-6 epimer (33), a tandem aldol–Wittig type reaction was developed as the key step to synthesize the highly functionalized 5-membered cyclitol. Moreover, on the basis of the outcome of these synthetic studies, a number of trehazolin-related compounds (49–52), modified at the terminal amino group of trehalamine (4), were synthesized to be evaluated as candidates directed to anti-NIDDM (non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) drugs.
