PURPOSE: To produce the subject compound useful as a saccharide for hepatic disease therapeutic drugs by culturing a 3-keto-7β-hydroxycholanic acid-producing bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus in an ursodeoxycholic acid-containing medium and subsequently collecting the product from the cultured solution.

CONSTITUTION: A 3-keto-7β-hydroxycholanic acid-producing bacterium [e.g. bacillus.SP-TTUR1-1 (FERM 11860)] is cultured in a nutritive medium containing ursodeoxycholic acid and comprising glucose, peptone, yeast extract, dipotassium mono-hydrogenphosphate, and magnesium sulfate 7 hydrate to produce 3-keto-7β-hydroxycholic acid in the cultured solution. The cultured solution is subjected to a centrifugal separation process to remove the cells of the bacterium. The remaining supernatant is acidified with diluted sulfuric acid, and the resultant precipitates are collected and recrystallized with methanol to provide the purified 3-keto-7β-hydroxycholanic acid.