Selected Recent Advances in the Stereoselective Synthesis of Isoquinoline and β-Carboline Derivatives with the Use of Chiral Auxiliaries of Natural Origin

Various aspects of stereoselective synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinolines and tetrahydro-β-carbolines with the use of natural compounds as chirality sources are reviewed. The following low molecular weight substrates are considered: carbohydrates, isoprenoids, hydroxyacids, alkaloids and amino acids. Examples of various synthetic methodologies that employ the above derivatives as chiral building blocks, chiral auxiliaries or chiral ligands are presented.