| abstract |
@ A method for preparing 11β, 17a, 20, 21-tetrahydroxy steroids of the pregnane class comprises incubating the corresponding 17a, 20a or β, 21-trihydroxy steroid in the presence of a culture medium capable of effecting the 11β-hydroxylation which comprises a fungal culture of the genus Curvularia. A method for preparing 11β, 17a, 21-trihydroxy-20-oxo steroids of the pregnane class comprises the hydroxylation method described above followed by conversion of the resulting 11β, 17a, 20a or β, 21-tetrahydroxy steroid into the corresponding 11β, 17α, 21-trihydroxy-20-oxo steroid. |