A series of per-O-benzoylated 5-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-2-substituted-1,3,4-oxadiazoles was prepared by acylation of the corresponding 5-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)tetrazole. As an alternative, oxidation of 2,6-anhydro-aldose benzoylhydrazones by iodobenzene I,I-diacetate afforded the same oxadiazoles. 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxides to per-O-benzoylated beta-D-glucopyranosyl cyanide gave the corresponding 5-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-3-substituted-1,2,4-oxadiazoles. The O-benzoyl protecting groups were removed by base-catalyzed transesterification. The 1,3,4-oxadiazoles were practically inefficient as inhibitors of rabbit muscle glycogen phosphorylase b while the 1,2,4-oxadiazoles displayed inhibitory activities in the micromolar range. The best inhibitors were the 5-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-3-(4-methylphenyl- and -2-naphthyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazoles (K(i)=8.8 and 11.6 microM, respectively). A detailed analysis of the structure-activity relationships is presented.