New chain-extended analogues of salacinol and blintol and their glycosidase inhibitory activities. Mapping the active-site requirements of human maltase glucoamylase

The synthesis of new chain-extended sulfonium and selenonium salts of 1,4-anhydro-4-thio-(or 4-seleno)-d-arabinitol, analogues of the naturally occurring glycosidase inhibitor salacinol, is described. Nucleophilic attack at the least hindered carbon atom of 4,6-O-benzylidene-2,5-di-O-p-methoxybenzyl-d-mannitol-1,3-cyclic sulfate by 2,3,5-tri-O-p-methoxybenzyl-1,4-anhydro-4-thio-(or 4-seleno)-d-arabinitol gave the sulfonium and selenonium sulfates, respectively. Subsequent deprotection with trifluoroacetic acid yielded the target compounds. In these analogues, an extended polyhydroxylated aliphatic side chain has been incorporated while maintaining the stereochemistry of C-2' and C-3' of salacinol or blintol. These compounds were designed to probe the premise that they would bind with higher affinity to glucosidases than salacinol because the extra hydroxyl groups in the acyclic chain would make favorable polar contacts within the active site. Both target compounds inhibited recombinant human maltase glucoamylase, one of the key intestinal enzymes involved in the breakdown of glucose oligosaccharides in the small intestine, with Ki values in the low micromolar range. Comparison of these values to those of related compounds synthesized in previous studies has provided a better understanding of structure-activity relationships and the optimal stereochemistry at the different stereogenic centers required of an inhibitor of this enzyme. With respect to chain extension, the configurations at C-2' and C-4' are critical for activity, the configuration at C-3', bearing the sulfate moiety, being unimportant. The desired configuration at C-5' is also specified. However, comparison of the activities of the chain-extended analogues with those of salacinol and blintol indicates that there is no particular advantage of the chain-extension relative to salacinol or blintol. These results are similar to those reported earlier for kotalanol, a 7-carbon-extended derivative, versus salacinol against rat intestinal maltase, sucrase, and isomaltase.