A series of naturally occurring pyrrolidine alkaloids and analogues, with the general structure of trideoxy-2,5-iminohexitols (imino-or azasugars), have been enantiosynthesized using triorthogonally protected pyrrolidines, previously prepared from commercial D-fructose, as homochiral starting materials. The inhibitory activity of some of the described compounds against glycosidases and glycosyltransferases makes them potential therapeutic agents.In 1991 Wong and co-workers 2 described, for the first time, a synthetic methodology that combined an enzymatic aldol condensation reaction, giving a key intermediate 5-azido-5-deoxyhexulose, with a highly stereocontrolled intramolecular reductive amination, which afforded a trihydroxylated pyrrolidine identified as 2,5,6-trideoxy-2,5-imino-D-glucitol (6-deoxy-DGDP, 1). Two years later, 3 Wong's group, using the same methodology, reported the synthesis of 1 as well as of three new trideoxy-2,5-iminohexitols, named as 1,2,5-trideoxy-2,5-imino-D-glucitol (1-deoxy-DGDP, 2), 1,2,5-trideoxy-2,5-imino-L-altritol (ent-4 = 5), and 1,2,5-trideoxy-2,5-imino-D-mannitol (1-deoxy-DMDP, 7) 4 (see Figure 1). Compound 7 was isolated in the same year by Molyneux and co-workers from seeds 5 of Angylocalyx pynaertii (Leguminosae) and more recently, together with compounds 3 and 4, from the bark 6 and pods 7 of this plant. The structure and absolute configuration of 7 was confirmed by an unambiguous synthesis from diacetone D-glucose. 5 Bisseret and co-workers 8 reported a new synthesis of 7 using lithiation of an aziridine ring, whereas a highly diastereoselective reductive benzyloxymethylation of protected tartarimide was the methodology chosen by Huang and co-workers 9 in order to achieve the synthesis of 7. Compound 2 has also been synthesized by Lee and Jeong 10 from commercial D-glucurono-d-lactone and by Clapés and co-workers, 11 together with 3, 5, 2,5,6-trideoxy-2,5-imino-D-altritol (6-deoxy-DALDP, 6), 7, and ent-7 (= 8), through an enzymatic reaction similar to that mentioned above. Pyrrolidines 4 and 6 were also prepared by Defoin and co-workers 12 from chiral 1,2-oxazines, while the former has recently been described by Moriarty and co-workers who employed an exo-to endo-iminocyclitol rearrangement. 13 Compound 7 was shown to be a moderate competitive inhibitor versus b-mannosidase (IC 50 380 mM), 5 as well as a potent inhibitor of bovine epididymis a-L-fucosidase (IC 50 150 mM), rat epididymis b-mannosidase (IC 50 93 mM), and bovine liver b-galactosidase (IC 50 30 mM). 6,