PURPOSE: To easily produce and separate the subject compound useful as an intermediate for synthesizing activated vitamin D3 in an industrially advantageous way.
CONSTITUTION: Typically, a mixture comprising a steroid having double bond on the steroid skeleton alone and another steroid having double bonds on the steroid skeleton and side chain, respectively, is subjected to diol-modification and dihydroxysteroid having the side chain double bond selectively diol-modified is separated from the mixture (separation method). The steroid having double bond on the steroid skeleton alone is recovered from the residue after separation of the dihydroxysteroid having the side chain (purification method). One of the hydroxyl groups of the dihydroxysteroid having the side chain separated above is protected and then the other hydroxyl groups are removed by dehydration to bring the dihydroxysteroid having the side chain into the allyl alcohol form, which is then reduced to obtain a steroid having one hydroxyl group in the side chain (synthetic method). The C-C bond between the side chain diols of the dihydroxysteroid having the side chain separated above is subjected to oxidative cleavage to obtain a steroid with shortened side chain (synthetic method).
KIMURA YOSHIKAZU
AKEBOSHI KATSUNORI
FUJIMOTO YOSHINORI
IKEGAWA NOBUO
