Improvement of the steroid dihydroxylation efficiency from dehydroepiandrosterone using a substrate pre-induction biotransformation process.

This study investigated the effects of hydroxylase cyptochrome P450 inducers on the efficiency of the biotransformation of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to 3β, 7α, 15α-trihydroxy-5-androsten-17-one (7α,15α-diOHDHEA) by Colletotrichum lini ST-1. Special attention was given to the substrate DHEA being the best inducer and the fact that it could improve the yield of 7α, 15α-diOHDHEA. Based on the effects of the DHEA pre-induction phases and additional concentrations on 7α, 15α-diOHDHEA production, a substrate pre-induction process was established as follows: 2 g/L DHEA was added for the first time after 12 h of inoculation, followed by the second addition of 6 g/L DHEA after 12 h later. The results showed that this substrate pre-induction process improved the content of cytochrome P450 and that the 7α, 15α-diOH-DHEA yield reached 90.1%, which was 26.9% higher than that obtained in the original process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]