Biologically Active Macrocyclic Compounds - from Natural Products to Diversity-Oriented Synthesis

Macrocyclic compounds are attractive targets when searching for molecules with biological activity. The interest in this compound class is increasing, which has led to a variety of methods for tackling the difficult macrocyclization step in their synthesis. This microreview highlights some recent developments in the synthesis of macrocycles, with an emphasis on chemistry developed to generate libraries of putative biologically active compounds.