Degradation chemistry of a Vitamin D analogue (ecalcidene) investigated by HPLC-MS, HPLC-NMR and chemical derivatization.

Ecalcidene (1-[(1alpha,3beta,5Z,7E,20S)-1,3-dihydroxy-24-oxo-9,10-secochola-5,7,10(19)-trien-24-yl]-piperidine) is a new 1-hydroxyvitamin D analogue. In this report, the thermal degradation, acid induced degradation and iodine induced degradation of ecalcidene were investigated using HPLC-MS, HPLC-NMR and chemical derivatization. In solution ecalcidene was thermally and reversibly transformed to a pre-Vitamin D type isomer 1 which subsequently produced the dehydrated pyrocalciferol and isopyrocalciferol type isomers 2 and 3 by cyclization and dehydration at elevated temperatures. Acidic conditions resulted in the formation of a novel C9-hydroxylated isomer 4 of ecalcidene, possibly via a tachysterol type intermediate, followed by the acid facilitated nucleophilic addition of water. In the presence of iodine, cis/trans isomerization of both ecalcidene and its pre-Vitamin D type isomer 1 occurred. The results may shed light on the stability and metabolism of ecalcidene, provide useful information for its potential pharmaceutical development, and enrich the knowledge of Vitamin D chemistry.