ABSTRACT
Steroid drugs and their (semi-) synthetic analogues are among the most important groups in drug therapy. Steroid compounds possess the skeleton of cyclopenta[a]perhydrophenanthrene or a skeleton derived from one or more bond scissions or ring expansions or contractions. Methyl groups are normally present at C10 and C13 (angular methyl groups). An alkyl side chain may also be present at C17. The steroid rings are lettered A, B, C, and D, and the 17 ring carbons are numbered as shown in Figure 35.1. The two angular methyl groups are numbered C18 and C19. Steroids consist of an essentially lipophilic (or hydrophobic, nonpolar) cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene nucleus modied on the periphery of the nucleus or on the side chain by the addition of hydrophilic groups. In addition to steroids, which are widely distributed in nature, many thousands of them have been synthesized in the pharmaceutical and chemical laboratories. Despite the similarities in chemical structures and stereochemistry, each class of steroids demonstrates unique and distinctively different biological activities. Steroids (e.g., androgens, antiandrogens, estrogens, progestagens, anabolics, corticosteroids, 5α-reductase inhibitors, and aromatase inhibitors) have major role as hormones, controlling metabolism, salt balance, and
35.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 641 35.2 Cholesterol ..........................................................................................................................642 35.3 Androgens ...........................................................................................................................645 35.4 Anabolics ............................................................................................................................646 35.5 Antiandrogens ..................................................................................................................... 651 35.6 5α-Reductase Inhibitors ...................................................................................................... 653 35.7 Estrogens .............................................................................................................................654 35.7.1 Nonsteroidal Estrogens ......................................................................................... 657 35.8 Aromatase Inhibitors ..........................................................................................................660 35.8.1 Nonsteroidal Aromatase Inhibitors ...................................................................... 661 35.9 Progestagens and Oral Contraceptive ................................................................................. 662 35.9.1. Oral Contraceptives ..............................................................................................665 35.10 Corticosteroids .................................................................................................................... 670 35.10.1 Glucocorticoids ..................................................................................................... 670 35.10.2 Mineralocorticoids ................................................................................................ 676 35.11 Sitosterol ............................................................................................................................. 679 35.12 Sample Preparation in Context of Matrix ........................................................................... 681 35.13 Detection ............................................................................................................................. 682 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... 682 References ...................................................................................................................................... 683
the development and function of sexual organs as well as other biological differences between the sexes. Steroids, naturally occurring or synthetic, are also used for the treatment of various diseases such as allergic reactions, arthritis, some malignancies, and diseases resulting from hormone deciencies or abnormal production. In addition, synthetic steroids (e.g., mifepristone [MIF]) that mimic the action of progesterone (PRO) are widely used as oral contraceptive agents. Steroids and their metabolites are analyzed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) in a variety of samples such as biological samples or plants and pharmaceutical formulations. Many samples can be analyzed simultaneously and quickly at relatively low cost. Multiple separation techniques and detection procedures can be applied, and the detection limits are often in the low nanogram range with accurate and quantitative densitometric methods.
