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Inhibition of carbohydrate processing enzymes is a topic of great interest, as these enzymes are involved in a plethora of key biochemical events, such as digestion, lysosomal catabolism of glycoconjugates and post-translational glycoprotein processing. Among the most potent inhibitors of such enzymes, iminosugars have emerged as versatile tools for medicinal chemists, especially those in quest for new therapeutic agents. Supply of iminosugars from natural sources or by chemical synthesis has provided excellent targets for medical intervention, ranging from antidiabetics and antivirals to inhibitors of genetic disorders. Although a huge body of literature has been reported around iminosugars, most data have focused on D-series iminosugars, whereas relatively little attention has been devoted to the corresponding L-enantiomers, due to their supposed lack of biological activity profile, as well as their scarce availability from natural sources. Notwithstanding, recent insights into the molecular details of enzyme-inhibitor interactions have led to a reassessment of L-iminosugars for pharmaceutical purposes. On one hand, they have been used as tools for intensive SAR (structure-activity-relationship) studies, in order to gain new information on the enzymatic inhibition mechanisms. Likewise, early reports on biological activity of Liminosugars have led to reconsider their therapeutic skills. This review focuses on the most significant discoveries regarding medicinal chemistry of L-iminosugars. The important role L-iminosugars play in unravelling the inhibition mechanisms of specific enzymes is herein recognized; moreover, the high potential of this class of inhibitors as novel drug candidates is under discussion.

Last years have witnessed enormous progresses in glycomic field, mainly as a consequence of the crucial role carbohydrates have shown in biological systems. While up to a few years ago attention was mainly focused on the use of easily available D-sugars, a recent interest has emerged around their L-enantiomers, as they have been found to be key components of several bioactive compounds, whether in the form of oligosaccharides, glycopeptides, terpene glycosides or other clinically useful agents. However, L-sugars (L-hexoses especially) are rather rare in nature and not easily accessible from inexpensive sources. As demand for their synthesis in considerable amount and high purity is more and more pressing, intense efforts have been addressed to the development of new and general methodologies for their construction. This review covers the synthetic routes to L-hexoses, mainly those coming from the new century. Methodologies for monosaccharide assembly will comprise de novo approaches, based on carbon chain elongation, hetero Diels-Alder reaction, asymmetric dihydroxylation up to the most recent amino acid-catalyzed aldol addition - as well as D-sugar manipulation strategies, including epimerization by chemical or enzymatic methods. Application of such protocols for the construction of biologically relevant oligosaccharides and natural products will be also briefly mentioned.

We report the ready asymmetric synthesis of nucleoside analogues containing a 1,3-dithiolane ring that mimics the sugar moiety of natural nucleosides. The synthesis is accomplished in three main steps from benzoyloxyethanal 1,3-dithiolane, the key step being its conversion into a chiral monosulfoxide by a modified Sharpless sulfo-oxygenation reaction. The nucleoside analogues were obtained in good overall yields and with excellent enantiomeric excesses. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)

The asymmetric α-hydroxylation of N,N-diprotected homo-β-amino acid methyl esters is reported. The starting compounds are readily available, being prepared from simple α-amino acids by a procedure that we have already reported. α-Hydroxylation proceeded smoothly at −78 °C with high yields and good diastereomeric ratios. In comparison with other asymmetric α-hydroxylation procedures, (a) this method does not need the use of costly chiral reagents and/or chiral auxiliaries and (b) it represents the first example of a procedure affording β-amino-α-hydroxy acids with full, orthogonal protection. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2002)