Synthesis and antiretroviral evaluation of 3-alkyl 2-piperazinone nucleoside analogs

Glycosylation of 3-alkyl N 4 -(3-hydroxypropyl) 2-piperazinones by protected 1- O -acetyl ribofuranoses produces nucleoside analogs in which the base is separated from the sugar by a hydrocarbon spacer arm. The preliminary in vitro test results against retroviruses seem promising for compounds bearing a long alkyl chain.