Synthetic Approaches to Anti-Inflammatory Macrolactones of the Oxacyclododecindione Type

Various synthetic approaches to the oxacyclododecindione-type macrolactones, known for their potent anti-inflammatory activity, are presented. These include an attempted carbonylative ring closure, a hydroacylation route, and an approach by ring-closing metathesis and double bond isomerization, as well as a strategy including ring-closing metathesis/unsaturation. The last route allowed the preparation of a bioactive analogue of the recently described 14-deoxyoxacyclododecindione.