Biosynthesis organic synthesis methods

Full exploitation of cascade catalysis and multi-step conversions in concert will require the development of novel, mutually compatible, organic and biosynthetic methods and procedures. Eventually, a full integration of organic synthesis and biosynthesis can be envisaged. 

The pharmacological importance of many natural steroids has stimulated much synthetic work in an effort to obtain practical quantities of naturally occurring and unnatural steroids. Oftentimes a combination of biosynthesis and organic synthesis works best. For example, the need for large quantities of cortisone derivatives for therapeutic use in treatment of arthritis and similar metabolic diseases has led to intensive research on synthetic approaches for methods of producing steroids with oxygen functions at Cll, which is not a particularly common point of substitution in steroids. 

Over the last decades, biosynthesis is filling our gaps of understanding the complex mechanisms of nature and provides useful sources of inspiration not only in the way natural products can be synthesized but also by directing synthetic chemists in developing atom-economical, efficient synthetic methods. Several are the examples that mimic biosynthetic guidelines, from modem iterative alkylations and aldol reactions to C—H oxidations that compile nowadays the modem toolbox of organic synthesis. 

Acyclic stereocontrol has been a striking concern in modern organic chemistry, and a number of useful methods have been developed for stereoregulated synthesis of conformationally nonrigid complex molecules such as macrolide and polyether antibiotics. Special attention has therefore been paid to the aldol reaction because it constitutes one of the fundamental bond constructions in biosynthesis. 

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