Fundamentals of Steroid Chemistry and Biochemistry

摘要: Steroids are a unique class of chemical compounds found throughout the animal and plant kingdom. This includes sterols such as cholesterol ergosterol, bile acids, steroid hormones. Chemical research on steroids began with isolation structure determination, major efforts focused total synthesis development numerous reactions for modifying scaffold. Methods in microbial transformations were developed to produce large quantities starting materials at reduced costs. Research biochemistry first studies biosynthesis metabolism steroids, followed soon thereafter by investigations biochemical mechanism action steroids. Over past several decades, molecular biology have steroidogenic enzymes, nuclear receptors, gene expression. The discovery anti-inflammatory effects cortisone treatment rheumatoid arthritis report contraceptive estrogen progestin preparations illustrated time that could be considered medicinal agents. As result, extensive chemistry, pharmacology, clinical agonists antagonists has evolved continues provide new insights agents therapies many different diseases chemoprevention strategies. Keywords: steroid synthesis; steroid biosynthesis; steroid metabolism; steroid receptors; cholesterol; pregnenolone; cortisol; aldosterone; progesterone; testosterone; estradiol