New amino acids

4-hydroxyisoleucine, isolated from Fenugreek, a legume from the Mediterranean and Asia, could help regulate blood glucose levels. In several animal studies, this substance stimulated insulin production and improved the body's sensitivity to this hormone. This amino acid, which is rare in nature and does not exist in humans or animals, has a different mechanism of action than the sulfonylureas and other anti-diabetic substances currently used. If 4-hydroxyisoleucine is a naturally occurring hypoglycemic agent, it is to be hoped that more active analogues, accessible by chemical synthesis, exist. The preparation of such analogues is the subject of our work.