Total syntheses of (+)-spiculoic acid A and (+)-zyggomphic acid, new marine natural products of polyketide origin

The total syntheses of both natural (+)-spiculoic acid A and (+)-zyggomphic acid, new cytotoxic marine natural products of polyketide origin, have been accomplished for the first time. These syntheses were achieved by the highly stereoselective and high-yielding intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction of a functionalized (E,E,E)-2,7,9-dodecanal derivative to construct the core tetrahydroindan-2-one skeleton. A stereocongener of (+)-spiculoic acid A, i.e., the (2R,5S,6R)-isomer, was also synthesized. The details of these total syntheses are described.