Abstract
One of the most important carbohydrate-splitting enzymes is themaltase-glucoamylase which catalyzes the hydrolysis of alpha-glucosidic linkages. Maltase-glucoamylase inhibitors during the last few years have aroused medical interests in the treatment of diabetes. They contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism of maltase-glucoamylase. At present there are many different classes of maltase-glucoamylase inhibitors. This paper focuses on alkaloidal inhibitors of maltase-glucoamylase and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies between them in order to discover some drugs with better efficiency and lower toxicity for treating diabetes.