Preparatively useful transformations of steroids and morphine alkaloids byMucor piriformis

Madyastha, KM (1994) Preparatively useful transformations of steroids and morphine alkaloids byMucor piriformis. In: Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences - Chemical Sciences, 106 (5). 1203 -1212.

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Abstract

A versatile fungus isolated in our laboratory and identified as Mucor piriformis has been shown to effect novel and preparatively useful transformations in steroids and morphine alkaloids. The organism very effectively carries out hydroxylation of various C-19 and C-21 steroids at 7 and 14-positions. Although the organism is capable of catalysing hydroxylation at 6 beta and 11 alpha-positions, these are not the major activities. The 14 alpha-hydroxylase appears to have a broad substrate specificity. However, steroids with a bulky substitution at C-17 alpha-position or without the 4-en-3-one group are not accepted as substrates by the 14 alpha-hydroxylase system. Studies have demonstrated how various C-19 and C-21 steroids can be modified to yield new structures which are either difficult to prepare by traditional methods or hitherto unknown. The organism also very efficiently and selectively carries out the N-dealkylation of thebaine and its N-variants. Interestingly, the nor-compound formed does not get further metabolized. Since thebaine is very often used as a starting material to synthesize various morphine agonists as well as antagonists, and one of the steps involved in their preparation is the N-dealkylation reaction, the microbial process could certainly offer an alternative approach.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences - Chemical Sciences
Publisher:	Indian academy of sciences
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Indian academy of sciences.
Keywords:	Steroids;morphine alkaloids;Mucor piriformis;hydroxylation; N-dcalkylation;transformation.
Department/Centre:	Division of Chemical Sciences > Organic Chemistry
Date Deposited:	11 Apr 2011 04:42
Last Modified:	11 Apr 2011 04:42
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/36702

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