Editing Lactone (section)

{{short description|Cyclic carboxylic ester}}

'''Lactones''' are cyclic [[carboxylic ester]]s. They are derived from the corresponding [[hydroxycarboxylic acid]]s by [[esterification]]. They can be saturated or unsaturated.<ref>{{citation | entry=lactones | title=[[Compendium of Chemical Terminology]] | publisher=[[International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry]] | version=2.3.3 | date=2014-02-24 | page=817}}</ref>

Lactones are formed by '''lactonization''', the intramolecular esterification of the corresponding hydroxycarboxylic acids.<ref>{{citation | author=Francis A. Carey | author2=Robert M. Giuliano | title=Organic Chemistry | edition=8th | publisher=McGraw-Hill | year=2011 | pages=798–799}}</ref>