PROCESS FOR SYNTHESIS OF STEROIDS

摘要

A process of subjecting a steroid compound represented by the general formula (I) (wherein R is hydrogen or lower alkyl) to chromic acid oxidation in the presence of anhydrous calcium carbonate to thereby form the corresponding 5-ene-3-one derivative, characterized by conducting the chromic acid oxidation in a halohydrocarbon solvent, making the solute of the obtained reaction solution adsorbed on a laminated adsorbent constituted of a magnesium silicate layer and a silica gel layer, and eluting the 5-ene-3-one derivative with a halohydrocarbon solvent. In the preparation of steroid compounds such as beta -sitost-5-ene-3-one, the process enables both the efficient separation of the objective compound from the reaction mixture obtained by the oxidation of the corresponding 3-ol derivative and the purification of the objective compound.