Abstract: | Two kinds of novel vinyl monomers having D ‐glucaric moieties leading to a new type of glycopolymeric inhibitors of β‐glucuronidase, N‐p‐vinylbenzyl‐6‐D ‐glucaramide (6 ) and potassium N‐p‐vinylbenzyl‐6‐D ‐glucaramid‐1‐ate (8 ), were synthesized by the reaction of D ‐glucaro‐6,3‐lactone (3 ) with p‐vinylbenzylamine (5 ) with no catalyst, and the subsequent treatment of the reaction mixture with acetic anhydride and potassium hydroxide aqueous solution, respectively. The radical copolymerization of 8 with acrylamide in various feed ratios at 60°C in 0.1 N potassium chloride aqueous solution gave water‐soluble copolymers (9 ) composed of a synthetic polymeric main chain and many pendant D ‐glucaric chains. The resulting glycopolymers (9 ) were found to inhibit the activity of β‐glucuronidase strongly through a model reaction with p‐nitrophenyl β‐D ‐glucuronide (10 ) in acetic buffer solution (pH 4.7). © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 303–312, 1999 |