Nectrisine is a potent inhibitor of alpha-glucosidases, demonstrating activities similarly at enzyme and cellular levels.

Nectrisine, discovered as an immunomodulator, was found to inhibit alpha-glucosidase, alpha- and beta-mannosidases, beta-glucosidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, in that order of inhibition strength. Beta-Galactosidase, alpha-fucosidase, and neuraminidase were insensitive to this antibiotic. Also sensitive was the trimming glucosidase I which participates in the first step of modifying N-glycosidic oligosaccharide. Nectrisine demonstrated an inhibitory effect at the cellular level as strong as expected based on its action at enzyme levels; castanospermine and 1-deoxynojirimycin did not. Nectrisine and castanospermine suppressed syncytium formation and hemolytic activity in Newcastle disease virus (NDV)-infected BHK cells, without blocking the synthesis and cell-surface expression of HANA glycoprotein of NDV.