New syntheses of 1d- and 1l-1,2-anhydro-myo-inositol and assessment of their glycosidase inhibitory activities Original Research Article

The 1d and 1l enantiomers of 1,2-anhydro-myo-inositol (conduritol B epoxide) were synthesised from 1d-pinitol and 1l-quebrachitol, respectively, and their activities were compared in selected glycosidase inhibition assays. The 1d enantiomer was found to be the active isomer, functioning as an irreversible inhibitor of sweet almond β-d-glucosidase. Neither isomer was active against the α-d-glucosidase from Bacillus stearothermophilus or the β-d-galactosidase from Aspergillus oryzae.