| abstract |
Steroidal and non-steroidal glycosides and a method of producing them are provided, wherein aglycon compounds are glycosylated with tri-O-acyl glucal using molecular or ionized halogen as reaction catalyst. The aglycon, which may be a non-steroid or a steroid having a reactive functional group (e.g., -OH, -SH, -COOH, -NH2, -NHR1) such as a cholesterol, is glycosylated, wherein the glycosylation is performed in a single step. For example, a steryl pyranoside is oxidized to the corresponding 7-ketosteryl di-O-acyl-pyranoside, which is selectively reduced to provide the corresponding 7-beta-hydroxysteryl 2,3-dideoxy-alpha-D-erythro-hex-2-enopyranoside. These steroidal and non-steroidal glycosides possess valuable pharmacological properties. In particular, the cholesterol glycoside exhibits a selective cell-destructive activity on malignant cell, in vivo, and is substantially free of side effects on normal cells. The glycosides possess useful pharmacological properties which are the same as their respective unglycosylated aglycons, which properties include a drive-enhancing (stimulating) activity and an anti-inflammatory (immunosuppressive or immunoregulatory) activity. |