Kuraray Co., Ltd.

Yoshihiro Ichihara

Masao Tsuji

Hidemi Harada

Masayasu Bunno

Tsutomu Sugiura

Fumio Mori

12.alpha.-Substituted pregna-1,4-diene-3,20-diones, which are novel compounds, are provided. These compounds are useful as intermediates for the synthesis of antiinflammatory corticoids represented by prednisone, prednisolone, etc.

12.alpha.-substituted pregna-1,4-diene-3,20-diones

There are provided 12-hydroxy-.DELTA..sup.4 or .DELTA..sup.1,4 -pregnan-3-one-20-carbaldehyde and microbial method of producing the same. The compounds are novel and useful as starting materials for the synthesis of corticoids, typically prednisone, prednisolone and hydrocortisone, which have antiinflammatory activity.

Pregnane derivatives and method of producing the same

There is provided the novel compound 11-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one-20-carbaldehyde, as well as a microbial method for production of the same. This novel compound is of value as a starting material for antiinflammatory corticoids such as hydrocortisone, cortisone, prednisolone and prednisone.

11-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one-20-carbaldehyde and a method for its

A microbial process for producing 12.alpha.-hydroxypregna-1,4-dien-3-one-20.alpha.-carboxylic acid or a salt thereof which comprises cultivating a microbe of the species Pseudomonas arvilla or the genus Alcaligenes, e.g. Alcaligenes faecalis, which is capable of producing 12.alpha.-hydroxypregna-1,4-dien-3-one-20.alpha.-carboxylic acid or a salt thereof by utilizing deoxycholic acid or a salt thereof as a substrate, in a culture medium containing the substrate and collecting the resulting compound.

Microbial process for producing

A microbial process for producing a cholanic acid derivative of the formula: ##STR1## wherein X is ##STR2## or .dbd.O; and R is hydrogen, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, which comprises cultivating a microbe which is capable of growing in a medium containing cholic acid or a salt thereof as a substrate to produce the cholanic acid derivative, selected from the genera Arthrobacter, Brevibacterium and Corynebacterium, in a culture medium containing the substrate and collecting the resulting derivative.

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Kurashiki, Japan

Yoshihiro Ichihara