New strategy for the total synthesis of macrosphelides a and B based on ring-closing metathesis.

[reaction: see text] A new total synthesis of macrosphelides A and B using ring-closing metathesis (RCM) as a macrocyclization step is described. The substrate of the RCM could be synthesized from readily available chiral materials, methyl (S)-(+)-3-hydroxybutyrate and methyl (S)-(-)-lactate, with a high efficiency. The RCM proceeded in the presence of Grubbs' Ru-complex, providing a new effective synthetic route to these natural products.