ISOSACCHARINO-LACTONES AND GLUCOSACCHARINO-LACTONES AS CHIRONS FOR THE SYNTHESES OF NATURAL COMPOUNDS AND ANALOGS OF BIOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Alpha-D-Isosaccharino- and alpha-glucosaccharino-1,4-lactones, readily obtained by alkaline treatment of abundant sugars, represent versatil e chiral non-racemic starting materials for the syntheses of molecules containing a tertiary alcohol function. Their usefulness is undoubted ly illustrated by the numerous regio- and stereocontrolled syntheses o f biologically relevant molecules such as antibiotics, anticancer agen ts, pheromones and nucleosides.