A 50% aqueous EtOH extract of Aglaonema treubii found
to potently inhibit α-glucosidase was
subjected to various ion-exchange column chromatographic steps to give
2(R),5(R)-bis(hydroxymethyl)-3(R),4(R)-dihydroxypyrrolidine
(1), α-homonojirimycin (2),
β-homonojirimycin
(3), α-homomannojirimycin (4),
β-homomannojirimycin (5),
α-3,4-di-epi-homonojirimycin (6),
7-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-α-homonojirimycin
(7), and
5-O-α-d-galactopyranosyl-α-homonojirimycin
(8). Compounds 1 and 2 are known
inhibitors of various α-glucosidases. Compounds 6 and
8
are new natural products. Compounds 3−5
and 7 have been chemically synthesized
previously,
but this is the first report of their natural occurrence.