The Wolff–Kishner reduction is an effective tool in organic synthesis. For example, Ishibashi and coworkers employed the Huang Minlon modification of the Wolff–Kishner reduction as one of the final steps in their synthesis of (±)-aspidospermidine. Distillable material was removed after hydrazone formation at 160 °C and then heated to 210 °C overnight. The carbonyl group that was reduced in the Wolff–Kishner reduction was essential for preceding steps in the synthesis. The tertiary amide was stable to the reaction conditions and reduced subsequently by lithium aluminum hydride.