Enzymatic Resolution of Medium-Ring Lactones. Synthesis of (S)-(+)-Phoracantholide I

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-1989-27351

The horse liver and pig liver esterase hydrolysis of racemic medium ring lactones gives with excellent enantiomeric excess the S- (or R) lactones and the corresponding R- (or S) hydroxy acids.This is the first general method to obtain optically pure medium ring lactones.Application to the preparation of (S)-(+)-Phoracantholide I is reported.