Several new polyhydroxylated alkaloids including pyrrolidines with a long side chain and 3-(hydroxymethyl) indolizidines were prepared from a common nitrone easily obtained from d-arabinose. In addition, a total synthesis of hyacinthacine A2 has been achieved in five steps and 67.7 % overall yield starting from the same d-arabino-derived nitrone. All synthesized compounds have a common structural feature consisting of a pyrrolidine ring with d-arabino configuration.