Microbiological degradation of sterol side chains to a 17-keto group
AssigneeSchering Aktiengellschaft
InventorsAlfred Weber, Mario Kennecke, Helmut Dahl
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Abstract
The side chains of sterols are degraded by fermentation with microorganisms capable of doing so in an improved manner by employing in such fermentations sterol derivatives of the formula ##STR1## wherein n is 1 or 2; R.sub.1 is H or lower alkyl, R.sub.2 is alkyl, whose chain optionally is interrupted by an oxygen atom, or when n is 2, also a hydrogen atom; and R.sub.3 is a sterol side chain.
Claims10
In a process for the production of 17-keto steroids of the androstane series by subjecting a steroid having a sterol hydrocarbon side chain at the 17-position to the oxidative degradation activity of a culture of microorganism which degrades sterol side chains to 17-keto group, the improvement which comprises conducting the fermentation in the absence of an inhibitor whch inhibits attack on the ring system and employing as the starting steroid a sterol 3-acetal of the formula ##STR8## wherein is a single bond or a double bond;
- R.sub.1 is H or lower alkyl, R.sub.2 is alkyl, whose chain optionally is interrupted by an oxygen atom;
- and R.sub.3 is a sterol side chain.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.