Abstract: Anti-inflammatory 4-substituted 2-furanones are made from intermediates having the formulas: ##STR1## in which R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 independently are n-alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons, or branched chain alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons; X is H, OH, NH.sub.2, I or Br; R.sub.4 is H, alkyl of 1-20 carbons, phenyl[C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl], naphthyl[C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl], CH.sub.2 OH, CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH, CH.sub.2 --CHO, CH.sub.2 --COOH or CH.sub.2 --COOR.sub.5, and R.sub.5 is alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons, with the proviso that when X is hydrogen then R.sub.4 is selected from the group consisting of CH.sub.2 OH, CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH, CH.sub.2 --CHO, or CH.sub.2 --COOR.sub.5 ; ##STR2## in which R.sub.1, R.sub.2 R.sub.3 independently are n-alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons, or branched chain alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons, and R.sub.5 is alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons; ##STR3## in which R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 independently are n-alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons, or branched chain alkyl of 1 to 6 carbons, and R.sub.

Abstract: Retinold-like activity is exhibited by compounds of the formula ##STR1## where X is S, O; R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are hydrogen or lower alkyl; R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are hydrogen or lower alkyl with the proviso that R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 cannot both be hydrogen, R.sub.6 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, lower cycloalkyl or halogen; n is 0-5, and B is H, --COOH or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester or amide thereof, --CH.sub.2 OH or an ether or ester derivative, or --CHO or an acetal derivative, or --COR.sub.1 or a ketal derivative where R.sub.1 l is --(CH.sub.2).sub.m CH.sub.3 where m is 0-4, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.