SYNTHESIS AND ANTIVIRAL EVALUATION OF BETA-L-XYLO-FURANOSYL NUCLEOSIDES OF THE 5 NATURALLY-OCCURRING NUCLEIC-ACID BASES

The beta-L-xylo-furanosyl analogues of the naturally occurring nucleosides have been synthesized and their antiviral properties examined. All these compounds were hitherto unknown and they were stereospecifically prepared by glycosylation of pyrimidine and purine aglycons with a suitably peracyl-L-xylo-furanose (specially synthesized from L-xylose for our present purpose), followed by removal of the protecting groups. All the prepared compounds were tested for their activity against a variety of DNA and RNA viruses (including HIV), but they did not show significant antiviral activity.