Synthesis, computational study and glycosidase inhibitory activity of polyhydroxylated conidine alkaloids-a bicyclic iminosugar

New bicyclic conidine iminosugars 1d and 1e were synthesized from D-glucose. Thus, D-glucose was converted to sugar beta-amino acids 3a and 3b in good yields. Individual treatment of 3a/3b with the Mukaiyama reagent afforded sugar beta-lactams 4a/4b that on reduction with LiAlH4/AlCl3 gave azetidines 5a/5b with a sugar appendage. Reductive aminocyclization of sugar azetidines 5a/5b afforded the corresponding conidine iminosugars 1d/1c. Based on the H-1 NMR and DFT calculation studies the conformation of 1d was assigned as half chair Lambda 2 and that of 1e as a boat B2. The glycosidase inhibitory activities of 1d and 1e such as alpha-mannosidase, alpha-glucosidase and alpha-galactosidase were studied. The alpha-amylase activity was compared with acarbose. Compound 1d was found to be a moderate inhibitor of glycosidases while 1e was noticed to be a good inhibitor of alpha-mannosidase and a moderate inhibitor of other glycosidases. These results were substantiated by molecular docking studies using WHAT IF software and the AUTODOCK 3.0 program.