Patent ID: 6939857

Claim:
A compound represented by the general formula: X-β1,6-pinitol wherein, X represents a sugar residue; the sugar residue is substituted with one, two or three groups, and the pinitol is unsubstituted or is further substituted with between one and four groups, said substituted groups being substituted on at least one of said sugar residue and said pinitol and being independently selected from the group consisting of: (a) a phosphoryl group having a formula selected from the group consisting of —O—P(O)(OH) 2 , —O—P(S)(OH) 2 , —O—P(O)(OR) 2 , —O—P(S)(OR) 2 , —O—P(O)OHR, —O—P(S)OHR, —O—P(O)OR 1 R 2 , —O—P(S)OR 1 R 2 , —O—P(S)(OH)(SH), or a cyclic phosphate; (b) a phosphorus-containing group having a formula selected from the group consisting of —O—P(OR)—NR 1 R 2 and —O—P(O)(OR)—NR 1 R 2 ; (c) a sulphur-containing group having a formula selected from the group consisting of —O—S(O)(OH) 2 , —SH, —SR, —S(—O)—R, —S(O) 2 R, RO—S(O) 2 − , —O—SO 2 NH 2 , —O—SO 2 R 1 R 2 or —NHSO 2 NH 2 ; (d) a substituted amino-containing group having a formula selected from the group consisting of —NHR, —NR 1 R 2 , —NHAc, —NHCOR, —NH—O—COR, —NHSO 3 − , —NHSO 2 R, —N(SO 2 R), —NHC(═NH)NH 2 , —NH—CO—NR 1 R 2 or —NH—C(S)—NH 2 ; (e) a hydroxy group; a substituted hydroxy group represented by the formula —OR 3 , where R 3 is C 1-10 unsubstituted alkyl or C 1-10 substituted alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, aryloxyalkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenylalkyl in which the alkyl group is unsubstituted, alkylene-cycoalkyl in which the cycloalkyl group has 3-7 carbon atoms, —OCOR, aryl, heteroaryl, acetal, or said substituted groups comprise two hydroxyl groups that are joined to form a ketal; (f) halogen substituents fluorine or chlorine; and (g) hydrogen, forming a deoxy sugar; wherein R, R 1 and R 2 are independently hydrogen or C 1-10 unsubstituted alkyl or C 1-10 substituted alkyl or aryl; or a derivative of the compound, said derivative comprising salts, coordination complexes with metal ions, esters, free acids or bases, hydrates or protecting groups.