Microbial biotransformation of veratramine

Preparative-scale fermentation of the known C-nor-D-homosteroidal alkaloid veratramine (1) with Nocardia species ATCC 21145 has resulted in the isolation of three new metabolites, 2-4. The structure elucidation of these compounds was conducted primarily by 2D NMR analysis. The microbe Nocardia species ATCC 21145 was able to metabolize rings A and B of veratramine but failed to metabolize its nitrogen-containing side chain, an observation consistent with previous fermentation studies on steroidal alkaloids.