It is known that the antibiotic validamycin can be produced by fermentation of Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. limoneus (Studies on Validamycins, New Antibiotics II, T. Iwasa et al., Journal of Antibiotics, Vol 24, No. 2 pps. 107-113) 1971. In the search for aminocylitols in the above mentioned fermentation broth, the a-glucosidase inhibiting aminocyclitol valiolamine was isolated (Valiolamine, A New a-Glucosidase Inhibiting Aminocyclitol, Yo Kameda et al., Journal of Antibiotics, Vol. 37, No. 11, pps. 1301-1307) 1984. Valiolamine (II) has the structure Valiolamine is a natural product which can be isolated from fermentations of Streptomvces hygroscopicus.

Valiolamine can be prepared by the biodegradation of validamycin to a mixture of validamine and valienamine (N. Asano et al., V. Antibiot, 37,859-867 (1984)) which is then converted chemically into valiolamine (S. Harii et al., Carbohyds Res.

140,185-200 (1985)).

It is known that (IS)- (l (OH), 4-tri-O-benzyl-1-C [ (benzyloxy) methyl]-5- oxo-1,2,3,4-cyclohexanetetrol is an important compound in the synthesis of valiolamine and its N-substituted derivatives (Synthesis of a Branched-Chain Inosose Derivative, A Versatile Synthon of N-Substituted Valiolamine Derivatives from D- Glucose, H. Fukase et al., J. Org. Chem. 1992,57,3642-3650). This compound can be depicted by the formula The antidiabetic drug voglibose can be synthesized from compound III above though no such process is known for the drug acarbose.

In accordance with the invention, a new compound which can be used to prepare voglibose as well as the drug acarbose has been discovered which has been given the name valiolone and which can be represented by the formula I:

Valiolone can be prepared by an oxidative deamination of valiolamine. The procedure involves oxidation of valiolamine (II) and, in theory, to an intermediate imine, which is hydrolyzed to the ketone (I) under mild acidic conditions.

Oxidizing agents which are known to be effective in converting amines to imines can be used. These are illustrated by (DBQ), nicotinic aldehyde in the presence of a base (such as 1,8-diazabicyclo [4.3.0] undec-7- ene [DBU] or triethyl amine), benzothiazole-2-aldehyde and the like. The oxidation reaction proceeds easily generally without heat but heat can be used if desired, such as from room temperature up to about 50°C, preferably. The reactions can be conducted with (preferably) or without an appropriate solvent. The solvents can be illustrated by alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol and the like. The intermediate can be isolated but preferably it is not isolated and is hydrolyzed in situ in the reaction mixture to produce the desired valiolone. Hydrolysis proceeds using known reagents and conditions for hydrolyzing an imine to a ketone. Mild acidic conditions (about pH 4-6 and more preferably of about 5 pH) can be used for hydrolysis. Oxalic acid and acids of similar pKa that allow good buffering within the pH range of about 4 to 6 and preferably 4.5 to 5.5 can be used. Acids, preferably an organic acid, which can be used include oxalic acid, acetic acid, malonic acid, formic acid, as well as inorganic acids and acidic compounds, such as HCI, HSO, wet silica gel, and the like. The type of acid used can be readily selected by one of ordinary skill. The pH range selected can be guided by the qualifications that a significantly more acidic pH can allow for the formation by dehydration of valiolone or the intermediate imine. If the pH is allowed to become too basic, yields can

decrease, in theory because hydrolysis becomes more sluggish and the possibility of a retroaldol cleavage as a side reaction increases. It has been found that between these two extremes there is a narrow pH range in which both decomposition reactions are sufficiently slow to allow for effective product recovery.

The valiolamine (II) is preferably unprotected when oxidized. While a variety of oxidizing agents can be used, preference is given to 3,5-di-t-butyl-1,2-benzoquinone (DBQ). Likewise, a variety of hydrolysis agents can be used to convert the imine to the ketone, but preference is given to oxalic acid. Further, the preferred reaction scheme requires careful control of the pH in the hydrolysis step to about 5.0.

In view of the foregoing, a preferred scheme for preparing valiolone is as follows: The successful preparation of valiolone is surprising because several structural features of this compound suggest that this compound might be unstable, or be susceptible to dehydration or retroaldol reaction unless prepared in protected form.

Surprisingly, however, it has been found that valiolone, in unprotected form, is achieved in good yields according to the scheme set forth above.

In theory, the structural feature which is responsible for the easy dehydration of valiolone is the presence of a tertiary alcohol function on a carbon (3 to the carbonyl group. The dehydration follows a general acid catalysis mechanism and occurs upon exposure of the imine intermediate in the preparation of valiolamine to a pH

significantly more acidic than the desired pH. The retroaldol reaction that valiolone would likely undergo is shown below. It results in a ring opening of the original cyclic structure.

Valiolone is useful as an intermediate in the preparation of the drugs acarbose and voglibose. Voglibose can be prepared by reacting valiolone with 2-amino-1, 3- propanediol (serinol) in the presence of a reducing agent, preferably Na (CN) BH3, with or without an acid catalyst (e. g., acetic acid, HCl), according to the following schematic reaction: voglibose Acarbose can be prepared by reacting valiolone with the glycoside 4"-amino-4", 6"- dideoxymaltotriose (V) in the presence of an acid at a pH within the range of 1-4 followed by reacting the intermediate (VI) with a reducing agent such as Na (CN) BH3 in the presence of a modifying agent e. g. CeCl3 as per the following schematic re- action:

ACARBOSE Voglibose is useful for the treatment of postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic patients (Annual Reports of Medicinal Chemistry 1995, page 313). Acarbose is useful in the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (Drugs 46,1025- 1054,1993).

The invention will now be further described with reference to the following:

EXAMPLE 1-SYNTHESIS OF VOLIOLONE To a stirred solution of valiolamine 80 mg, 0.414 mmol, in 96% aq. methanol (5.2 ml) was added (92 mg, 0.418 mmol) dissolved in methanol (2 mL) at room temperature. After stirring for 90 min, water (1 mL) was added, the pH lowered to 5.0 (pH paper control) with an aqueous solution of oxalic acid, and the mixture shaken vigorously for 45 min. Subsequently, the pH was adjusted to 8 with ammonium hydroxide. The mixture was diluted with water (80 mL) and extracted with chloroform (4 x 40 mL). The water phase was concentrated to approximately 5 mL in a vacuum and loaded onto an IRA-68 anion exchange column (40 mL, OH--form). Elution with water gave a fraction containing the product. This solution was concentrated to 1 mL and further purified by chromatography on a weak cation exchanger (Wk-100,40 mL, NH4+-form, mobile phase: water) to give pure valiolone (42 mg, 0.219 mmol, 53% yield).'H NMR (300 MHz, D20), 8 (ppm): 2. 39 (d, 1H, J = 14.6 Hz, HCH-C=O); 2.79 (d, 1H, J = 14.6 Hz, HCH-C=O); 3.3 (d, 1H, J = 11.5 Hz, HCH-C-OH); 3.62 (d, 1H, J = 11. 3 Hz, HCH-C-OH); 3.63 (t, 1H, J = 9.5 Hz, HC-3); 3.84 (d, 1H, J = 9.4 Hz, HC-4) and 4.19 (d, 1H, J = 9.7 Hz, HC-2). 13C NMR (75 MHz, D2O), 6 (ppm): 45.45,64.37, 72.91,75.79,76.01,78.62 and 209.43.

EXAMPLE 2-SYNTHESIS OF VOGLIOBOSE Example 2 The valiolone of the invention can be used to prepare voglibose by the following procedure.

To a solution of 5 mmol of valiolone and 5 mmol of 2-amino-1, 3-amino-1, 3- propanediol in 25 mL DMF or methanol is added a catalytic amount of HCI. After 1 hour at room temperature, 2.5 mmol of solid NaBH3CN is added and the reaction mixture is stirred over night at room temperature. The reaction mixture is then

concentrated under reduced pressure and the residue is dissolved in water and applied to a Dowex 50 (H+) column. The column is washed with water and the product is eluted with 0.5 N NH40H. After concentrating the eluate, the residue is dissolved in water and applied successively first to a Amberlite CG-50 (NH4+) or Diaion WK-100 (NH4+) and then a Dowex 1 (OH-) column and each time the product is eluted with water to give voglibose.

It will be appreciated that the instant specification and claims are set forth by way of illustration and not limitation, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.