The “Natural Strategy” for the glycosidase-assisted synthesis of simple glycosides

Anomeric product mixtures obtained from simple acid-catalyzed Fischer glycosidation are conveniently resolved by application of glycosidase hydrolysis in aqueous medium to provide single diastereomers that are easy to isolate. Choosing from an array of inexpensive glycosidases, the hydrolytic strategy offers a flexible access to unprotected anomerically pure α- or β-glycopyranosides in good overall yields.