This book is a volume in the series Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry. It covers the key methods used for designing synthetic approaches to heterocycles from carbohydrates and the value and scope of these methods. Carbohydrates are widely distributed in nature and constitute the largest part of renewable biomasses. Moreover, many carbohydrates and their derivatives are commercially available at relatively cheap prices. Consequently their utilization is highly encouraged and economically they are of great significance. Moreover, carbohydrates are highly functionalized compounds that can be readily derivatized and/or cyclized to provide heterocyclic compounds.
This book provides a modern account and an up-to-date description of the advancement in the synthesis of diverse heterocycles from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can be considered as a source of chiral centers in addition to the variable modification thereof. Herein the elaboration of the carbohydrate molecules for providing different heterocycles is the main objective and team efforts from leaders of the topics has been gathered in this volume.
This book is designed to be suitable for students and researchers. It is highly recommended as a reference book and for teaching the fascinating topics related to carbohydrates, heterocycles and organic synthesis. In addition to its importance in academia, it is also an excellent source for information about the variety ofmethods used in the synthesis of heterocycles important to industry.

The first chapter, by El Ashry, El Kilany and Nahas, describes the manipulation of carbohydrate carbon atoms in the synthesis of heterocycles, whereby a wide range of heterocycles are presented to illustrate how different functionalities, either existing or generated on the carbohydrate molecules, can be manipulated for the construction of heterocycles.
The second chapter, by Fernandez-Bolanos and Lopez, deals with the synthesis of heterocycles from glycosylamines and glycosyl azides. The derived heterocycles couldhave significant biological activity and be related to the naturally occurring heterocycles; thus a plethora of heterocycles, such as N-glycosyl heterocycles, polyhydroxy pyrrolidines, oxapyrrolidines, piperidines and azepanes, have been prepared.
The third chapter, also by Fernandez-Bolanos andLopez, includes the synthetic versatility of carbohydrate isothiocyanates as building blocks in the preparation of a plethora of heterocycles.
The fourth chapter, by Furman, Kału˙za, Stencel, Grzeszczyk and Chmielewski, deals with the formation of β-lactams from carbohydrates; β-lactams are a well-known class of antibiotics.
In the fifth chapter, Santoyo-Gonzalez and Hernandez-Mateo report on azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, a valuable tool in carbohydrate chemistry.
The sixth chapter, by Cavaleiro, Tome, and Faustino, has reported the synthesis of glycoporphyrins. Although few examples of glycoporphyrins have been isolated from a natural source, the attachment of saccharide units to porphyrin macrocycles gives derivatives that might be of great significance for certain medicinal and other applications.
The seventh chapter, by El Nemr and El Ashry, reports on new developments in the synthesis of anisomycin and its analogues; anisomycin is a natural product that has interesting biological activity against certain pathogenic protozoa, strains of fungi and in the treatment of certain diseases, such as amoebic dysentery and tricomonas vaginitis.
The eighth chapter, by Fisera, deals with the 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of sugar derived nitrones and their utilization in the synthesis of heterocycles, which allow the synthesis of tailor-made products of possible biological interest.
The final chapter, by Khan, Perveen and