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Updated: Nov 10, 2025

Primary Culture of Rat Adrenocortical Cells and Assays of Steroidogenic Functions
Published on: March 12, 2019
Biotransformation of Cortisone with Rhodococcus rhodnii: Synthesis of New Steroids
Federico Zappaterra1, Stefania Costa1, Daniela Summa1
1Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Via L. Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
Abstract:
Cortisone is a steroid widely used as an anti-inflammatory drug able to suppress the immune system, thus reducing inflammation and attendant pain and swelling at the site of an injury. Due to its numerous side effects, especially in prolonged and high-dose therapies, the development of the pharmaceutical industry is currently aimed at finding new compounds with similar activities but with minor or no side effects. Biotransformations are an important methodology towards more sustainable industrial processes, according to the principles of "green chemistry". In this work, the biotransformation of cortisone with Rhodococcus rhodnii DSM 43960 to give two new steroids, i.e., 1,9β,17,21-tetrahydoxy-4-methyl-19-nor-9β-pregna-1,3,5(10)-trien-11,20-dione and 1,9β,17,20β,21-pentahydoxy-4-methyl-19-nor-9β-pregna-1,3,5(10)-trien-11-one, is reported. These new steroids have been fully characterized.
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