Nα-arylsulfonyl histamines as selective βglucosidase inhibitors

Na -benzenesulfonylhistamine, a new semi-synthetic b-glucosidase inhibitor, was obtained by bioactivityguided isolation from a chemically engineered extract of Urtica urens L. prepared by reaction with benzenesulfonyl chloride. In order to identify better b-glucosidase inhibitors, a new series of Na ,Ns -diarylsulfonyl and Na -arylsulfonyl histamine derivatives was prepared. Biological studies revealed that the b-glucosidase inhibition was in a micromolar range for several Na -arylsulfonyl histamine compounds of the series, Na -4-fluorobenzenesulfonyl histamine being the most powerful compound. Besides, this reversible and competitive inhibitor presented a good selectivity for b-glucosidase with respect to other target enzymes including a-glucosidase.