Looking glass inhibitors: L-DMDP, a more potent and specific inhibitor of alpha-glucosidases than the enantiomeric natural product DMDP

Abstract

L-DMDP, prepared from D-gulonolactone, is a highly specific inhibitor of a number of plant and mammalian -glucosidases [between 2 and 4 orders of magnitude more potent than the enantiomeric natural product DMDP] but is not an inhibitor of bacterial and yeast -glucosidases. Additionally N-butyl-DMDP is a potent inhibitor of ceramide-specific glucosyltransferase but N-butyl-L-DMDP shows no inhibition.