BIOTRANSFORMATION .34. METABOLISM OF TESTOSTERONE ESTERS IN FUNGI CULTURES

Seven esters of testosterone: acetate, propionate, enanthate, caprate, undecanoate, isobutyrate and isocaproate (some of them are used as dr ugs) were transformed by microorganisms: Absidia coerulea, Acremonium roseum, Aphanocladium album and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa to obtain som e information about their metabolism. It was observed that the presenc e and structure of the acyl group mainly influenced the degree of tran sformation. The products of the transformations of testosterone and it s esters were usually the same. The first step of the reaction was pro bably hydrolysis of ester, followed by testosterone transformation. On ly the branched chain esters were transformed by R. mucilaginosa witho ut hydrolysis of the ester bond.