Microbial transformation of (+)-adrenosterone.

The microbial transformation of (+)-adrenosterone (1) by Cephalosporium aphidicola afforded three metabolites identified as androsta-1,4-diene-3,11,17-trione (2), 17beta-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,11-dione (3) and 17beta-hydroxyandrosta-1,4-diene-3,11-dione (4). The fermentation of 1 with Fusarium lini also produced metabolites 2 and 4, while the fermentation with Trichothecium roseum afforded metabolite 3. The structures of transformed products were determined by spectroscopic methods.