Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft Auf Aktien

Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft Auf Aktien (henkel Kgaa)

Rudiger Wagner

Rolf Schmid

Wolfgang Preuss

Michael Bahn

The degradation of steroid-C22-carboxylic acids to the C20-carbonyl steroids is carried out in simplified form and preferably without isolating intermediate reaction products by using 17(20)-steroid-22-carboxylic acids as starting material and directly transforming them into the 20-carbonyl compound through their respective acid halides by the Curtius degradation or by carboxy-inversion degradation. The acetyl substituent thus formed in C17 of the steroid compounds is present in the pharmacologically required configuration.

Simplified process for the degradation of steroid-C-22-carboxylic acids

A .DELTA..sup.1,4,17 -BNC compound having the formula: ##STR1## wherein X is a substituent selected from the group consisting of OH and OCH.sub.3 ; as well as its process of production by microbiological side-chain splitting of a 17-C-side-chain steroid with a defect mutant microorganism which gives a steroid with a 17-C-.alpha.-propionic acid substituent in the absence of inhibitors inhibiting either the cleavage of the steroid ring or microorganism growth, where the defect mutant microorganisms are grown under a reduced air supply whereby an enrichment of .DELTA..sup.1,4,17 -BNC occurs.

Growing community of inventors

Monheim, Germany

Rudiger Wagner