Abstract

MICROBIAL CONVERSION OF PLANT STEROL (Î’, SITOSTEROLS) INTO IMPORTANT STEROID ANDROGENS USING NEW LOCALLY ISOLATED BACTERIA

Abd-Elsalam I. S.*, Shimaa A. A. and Ali A. I.

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Abstract

Microbial biotransformation of phytosterol to produce androstanedione (AD and androstadiendione (ADD) is a valuable interest reaction since. it considers to be steroid hormones intermediates. The current study deals with the bioconversion of β, sitosterol to produce (AD) and (ADD) using new bacterial isolate. Some physiological and biochemical factors such as inoculums size, inoculums age, pH, temperature and substrate concentrations were investigated. The results showed that the maximum yield of AD (42.3%) was obtained by using 24 h inoculum age and 2 ml/ 100 ml inoculum size; pH8; temperature at 30ºc; as well as 15 mg/100ml substrate concentration.

Keywords: 4-androstene-3, 17-dione (AD), androst-1,4-diene- 3,17-dione (ADD), Phytosterols, Microbial biotransformation.