Carbohydrates as chiral starting

A review on the synthesis of optically-active pheromones includes a section on the use of carbohydrates as chiral starting materials. ... 

Recently, Fraser-Reid and Tsang have extended their studies on the use of carbohydrates as chiral starting materials into the trichothecene field (47, 48). The triacetate (206), available from D-glucose, has been transformed into the modified trichothecene skeleton (208) as outlined in Scheme 21. The key ring-forming reaction in this sequence was an intramolecular alkylation of the amide (207). A number of transformations, including the transposition of the 8,9-olefin, still remain to convert product (208) into a naturally occurring trichothecene. 

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