Synthesis and glycosidase inhibition of australine and its fluorinated derivatives.

Australine (1), 7-epi-australine (2), and their C-7-fluorinated derivatives 4 and 5 have been synthesized efficiently from D-arabinose-derived cyclic nitrone 11. Fluorination at the C-7 position enhanced the inhibition against A. niger α-glucosidase, and this constitutes the first example of fluorination substitution for a hydroxyl increasing the inhibition of any glycosidases. The enantiomers synthesized from nitrone ent-11 showed no inhibition of the corresponding enzymes.