Natural Steroids

Steroids are a class of natural products with very special structures. Their molecular parent structures all contain a cyclopentano-perhydrophenanthrene carbon skeleton, which is also called a steroid nucleus. Among them, there are many kinds of natural steroids, with complex structure, huge quantity and wide range of biological activities. They are an important class of natural organic compounds, which have attracted the attention.

Structural Features

There are 3 side chains attached to 4 parallel carbon backbone rings (A, B, C and D rings) (shown in figure below). Among the four rings contained in the steroid nucleus skeleton, A, B, and C are six-membered carbocyclic rings, and D is five-membered carbocyclic rings.

In the structure of natural steroids, the A/B ring has a cis- or trans-connected configuration, while the B/C ring is a trans-connected configuration, and the C/D ring has a cis- or trans-connected parallel configuration. The 10 and 13 positions of the steroid nucleus are connected to the side chain of a C atom, most of which are methyl groups, called angular methyl groups, and most of them are in β configuration. There are side chains with different numbers of carbon atoms attached to the 17-position, and most of them are also in β configuration. Most of the natural steroids are connected with a hydroxyl group at the 3-position of the steroid nucleus and often form glycosides with a sugar group, and other positions are substituted with groups such as hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, double bond, and ether bond.

Carbon skeleton of steroid nucleus

According to the different side chains connected to the 17-position of the steroid nucleus, natural steroids are divided into several types, mainly including phytosterols, C21 steroids, cardiac glycosides, steroidal saponins, corticotropins, cholic acids, ecdysones, bufotoxins and so on. Studies have shown that natural steroids are transformed through the mevalondihydroxy acid (MVA) biosynthetic pathway.

Function

Steroids have two main biological functions: some steroids (such as cholesterol) are important components of cell membranes, changing the fluidity of cell membranes, and many other steroids are signaling molecules that activate steroid hormone receptors. Natural steroids are involved in a wide range of physiological processes, including stress responses, immune responses, carbohydrate metabolism, protein catabolism, blood electrolyte levels, and regulation of inflammation and behavior.

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Here, Alfa Chemistry offers a range of steroid compounds, including natural steroids and anabolic steroids. Click the link to see our full product list. If you do not find a steroid compound of interest, please contact us to discuss your detailed requirements.

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