Topic summary
Castanospermine
Castanospermine is an indolizidine alkaloid first isolated from the seeds of Castanospermum australe. It is a potent inhibitor of some glucosidase enzymes and has antiviral activity in vitro and in mouse models.
The castanospermine derivativecelgosivir is an antiviral drug candidate that as of 2009 was in development for possible use in treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.