Highly Diastereoselective Route to α-Glucosidase Inhibitors, Neosalacinol and Neoponkoranol.

A facile and highly diastereoselective route to potent natural α-glucosidase inhibitors, i.e., neosalacinol (4) and neoponkoranol (6), isolated from the traditional Ayurvedic medicine "Salacia" was developed by intramolecular cyclization of appropriately substituted sulfides (9 and 12).