Synthesis and application of steroidal 22,16β-carbolactones: A review

Abstract

In the plant kingdom, steroidal lactones occur as glycosides, compounds consisting of a sugar moiety linked to a steroid aglycone. Steroidal lactones consist of five fused rings, with a total of 22 carbon atoms. Numerous methods for the preparation of steroidal lactones take advantage of the fact that steroid spirostanes may be degraded from six- to a five-rings structure. One of the most striking features common to reactions of steroid sapogenins is the C₂₂-lactone formation. In the review, different methods for the preparation of steroidal lactones are presented with consideration of the structure of starting material. In addition, examples of lactones used in the synthesis of biologically active compounds and their analogues are described.

Keywords: Steroidal 22,16β-carbolactones; Steroidal lactones; Synthesis; Vespertilin.