2.8 Chiral Pool Synthesis: Chiral Pool Syntheses Starting from Carbohydrates

Chiral pool synthesis is one of the most effective methods for the preparation of optically active compounds. This chapter focuses on the synthesis of biologically active natural products based on the chiral pool approach starting from carbohydrates. Reports on the synthesis of structurally complex molecules, that is, macrocyclic (oleandomycin and okadaic acid), polycyclic (brevetoxin B), heterocyclic (thienamycin and salinosporamide A), and carbocyclic (verrucarol, calystegine B₂, tetrodotoxin, cyclophellitol, and morphine) compounds by way of the regio- and stereoselective transformations of readily available monosaccharides would be reviewed.