Aldol reactions of chelated amino acid ester enolates with chiral aldehydes gives rise to polyhydroxylated amino acids in a highly stereoselective fashion. These oxygenated amino acids can be converted into polyhydroxylated pipecolinic acids and azasugars by cyclization using the Mitsunobu reaction. A interesting epimerization was observed during the cyclization. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.