Furan compounds

摘要

The invention comprises a compound of the formula wherein Q is a methyl, hydroxymethyl, an alkanoyloxymethyl having from 2-6 carbon atoms, formyl, an alkylenedioxymethyl group having 3 or 4 carbon atoms, X is an a -hydroxymethylene, b -hydroxymethylene, a -alkanoyloxymethylene having from 2-6 carbon atoms, b -alkanoyloxymethylene having from 2-6 carbon atoms, a -glycosyloxymethylene having up to 4 sugar units, b -glycosyloxymethylene having up to 4 sugar units, carbonyl or alkylenedioxy methylene group having 3 or 4 carbon atoms, Y and Y1 are each a hydrogen or hydroxy group, Z is a methylene, a -hydroxymethylene, b -hydroxymethylene, a -alkanoyloxymethylene having from 2-6 carbon atoms or b -alkanoyloxymethylene having from 2-6 carbon atoms and the ripple mark (#x) is a generic indication of a - and b -configurations, X being a carbonyl in the case of D 4-unsaturation and not being a carbonyl in the case of D 5-unsaturation, and a process for preparing furan compounds which comprises reducing an a ,b -unsaturated g -lactone compound with an aluminium compound of the following formula MnAlRmH(n+3)-m wherein M is an alkali metal, R is an alkyl group having up to 8 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group having up to 8 carbon atoms, n is 0 or 1 and m is an integer from 0 to 3 when n is O, and m is an integer from O to 4 when n is 1, in an inert solvent to obtain a furan compound. Preferred reducing agents are di-lower alkyl aluminium hydride or a tri-lower alkyl aluminium. Pharmaceutical compositions having androgenic, anabolic or growth promoting activity and containing the above compounds may be administered orally or parenterally.