PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF STEROIDS

摘要

The invention aims at providing a novel process for the production of steroids. The invention provides a process for the production of 5ß-3,7-dioxocholanoic acid or esters thereof from a starting sterol having double bonds at the 5- and 24-positions, i.e., cholesta-5,7,24-trien-3ß-ol, ergosta -5,7,24(28)-trien-3ß-ol, desmosterol, fucosterol, or ergosta -5,24(28)-dien-3ß-ol via the following four steps, i.e., (I) the step of conducting the oxidation of 3-position hydroxyl and the isomerization of 5-position double bond to the 4-position, (II) the step of forming carboxyl or an ester group thereof at the 24-position by oxidative cleavage of the side chain, (III) the step of introducing an oxygen functional group at the 7-position, and (IV) the step of constructing 5ß-stereostructure by reductive saturation of 4-position double bond.