Chiral Recognition in Biological Systems and Natural Chiral Auxiliaries

Abstract

Chirality or asymmetry is the geometrical key to the fundamental chiral recognition of biochemical processes occurring in living systems. The biochemical processes involving anabolism, absorption, or catabolism take place almost always by the recognition of the stereospecific characters of the molecules. Fischer’s attempts to characterize certain carbohydrate molecules resulted into the first enantioselective synthesis in 1894—a case of chiral recognition [1].