The hydroxylation of some 13α-methylsteroids by Cephalosporium aphidicola

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0031-9422(97)00103-9

The Fungus, Cephalosporium aphidicola, has been shown to hydroxylate 5α,13α-androstan-3,17-dione and the 3β-alcohol at the C-1α and C-7α positions, whereas the corresponding compounds in the normal 13β-methyl series are hydroxylated at the C-11α and C-14α positions. Both series were hydroxylated at the 5α position. There was some epimerization of the axial 3α-alcohols to the equatorial 3β-epimers.