Fractionation of 17-ketogenic steroids by solvent partition.

J. TECHNIC was (lescribe(l by Few (1) in 1961 for deterniiiiation of I 7-hydroxycorticosteroids in which borohydride re(luction of steroid 20-keto groups was followed by oxidation of adjacent hydroxyl groups in the 17-20 positions with nletaperio(late. The borohydride also reduced all preformed 17-ketosteroids to the corresponding alcoholswhich do not give the Zimmerman reaction-alici reduced steroid 11 keto groups to hydroxyl groups. The metaperiodate also oxidized steroid glucuronides to formates, which are easily hydrolyzed by alkali. These reactions are shown in Fig. 1. The 17-ketosteroids formed were separated by partition chromnatography and determined by means of the Zimmerman reaction, using appropriate standards. The only ketosteroids which were found to be invariably preseiit were etiocholanolone and ii -hydroxyetiocholanolone (1). It has been found that these can be separated adequately by simple solvent partition without nee(l for a chromatographic step.