Synthesis of 5beta-cholestane-3alpha, 7alpha, 12alpha, 25-tetrol and 5beta-cholestane-3alpha, 7alpha, 245, 25-pentol.

This paper describes syntheses of 5beta-cholestane-3alpha, 7alpha, 12alpha, 25-tetrol and 5beta-cholestane-3alpha, 7alpha, 12alpha, 24xi, 25-pentol which give higher yields than previously published methods. In addition, 5beta-cholestane-3alpha, 7alpha, 12alpha, 24xi, 25-pentol was synthesized by a different procedure, namely via performic acid oxidation of the correspinding unsaturated triol, which gave a lower yield but avoided the formation of 5beta-cholestane-3alpha, 7alpha, 12alpha, 25, 26-pentol, which normally tends to contaminate the final product. Structures were confirmed by gas-liquid chromatography, infrared-, proton magnetic resonance- and mass spectrometry, 5beta-Cholestane-3alpha, 7alpha, 12alpha, 25-tetrol and 5beta-cholestane-3alpha, 7alpha, 12alpha, 24xi, 25-pentol were required for in vivo and in vitro studies of the (hypothetical) 25-hydroxylation pathway of cholic acid biosynthesis.