A new microbial degradation pathway of steroid alkaloids.

In the degradation pathway of the steroid alkaloid tomatidine by Gymnoascus reesii the A-ring of tomatidine is opened with the formation of the 4-hydroxy-3,4-secotomatidine-3-oic acid, which was identified in the form of N-acetyl-3,4-tomatidine-carbolactone by mass, IR and 1H NMR spectra. Cleavage of the A-ring in the starting reaction indicates that an alternative pathway must be operating, instead of the general oxidative one.