Manufacture of catechol estrogens derivatives

Abstract: A method comprising steps of Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of a 2-acetyl compound having the formula of wherein Y is carbonyl group or in which R 1 is acetoxyl group; and R 2 is a hydrogen atom or ethynyl group; R 3 is a hydrogen atom or acetoxyl group; and R 5 is a protective group, in the presence of a peracid and an alkali metal salt to form a 2-acetoxyl compound having the formula of wherein Y, R 3 and R 5 have the meanings as defined above.

Description: The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of intermediates for the synthesis of novel glycosides of catechol estrogens, useful for prevention and treatment of lipid peroxide- and free radical-related diseases. It is known that lipid peroxides are causative of ischemia-reperfusion injury, ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis, retinopathy in infant, siderosis, cataract, hepatitis, pancreatitis, diabetic microangiopathy, melanoderma, liver spots, pre-eclampsia and aging itself. Therefore, the prevention of lipid peroxidation by use of suitable antioxidants is beneficial for the prophylactic and treatment of such diseases. Thus, it is in need to develop effective antioxidants as medical compound. In 1987, Yoshino et al. reported that estrogens and their metabolites catechol estrogens are effective to prevent an increase in lipid peroxide levels in mice [K. Yoshino et al ., "J. Clin. Biochem. Nutr.", Vol. 3, pages 233 - 240 (1987)]. Thus, estrogens and catechol estrogens were thought to be hopeful for clinical application, however, the following disadvantages thereof make it difficult: Since these compounds are scarcely soluble in water, it is difficult to prepare an injection. Estrogens are not applicable to men because of their activity as a female hormone. Although estrogenic activity of catechol estrogens is almost nil, they are unstable against exposure to air and light so that the development of a medicament comprising catechol estrogen is not progressing. In addition, it is known that a half life of catechol estrogens in human blood is very short due to high susceptibility to be taken up into red blood cells and to be metabolized by catechol-O-methyl-transferase in the cells. Accordingly, these characteristics of catechol estrogens make it difficult to develop useful medicaments, even though they have a potent antioxidant activity. As to organic synthesis of catechol estrogens, not a few papers were reported in literatures as listed below: (a) J. Fishman, "J. Am. Chem. Soc.", 80 , 1213 (1958), (b) P. N. Rao, et al ., "Tetrahedron", 10 , 144 (1960), (c) J. Fishman, "J. Org. Chem.", 25 , 585 (1960), (d) T. Nambara, et al ., "Chem. Pharm. Bull.", 18 , 474 (1970), (e) T. Nambara, et al ., "Chem. Pharm. Bull.", 18 , 1191 (1970), (f) I. Yoshizawa, et al ., "Chem. Pharm. Bull.", 20 , 1842 (1972), (g) K. Kovacs, et al ., "Acta Phys. Chem.", 19 , 287 (1973), (h) H. G. Gelbke, et al ., "Steroids", 21 , 205 (1973), (i) G. Stubenrauch, et al ., "Steroids", 28 , 733 (1976), (j) R. G. Xie, et al ., "Steroids", 40 , 389 (1982), and (k) T. Ohkubo, et al ., "Chem. Pharm. Bull.", 36 , 419 (1988), Among the methods previously available, only two methods gave a relatively good yield of 50 to 60% for the preparation of catechol estrogens. Namely, the method described in Reference (j) includes the Friedel-Crafts reaction of estradiol to form 2-acetylestradiol 17-acetate (yield: 57.3%) followed by the Dakin reaction at pH 8.2 - 8.5 to form 2-hydroxyestradiol 17-acetate (yield: 85.2%). In this case, the overall yield was 49%. According to the method described in Reference (f), estradiol was reacted with benzoyl peroxide to form 2-hydroxyestradiol 2-monobenzoate and followed by hydrolysis to give 2-hydroxyestradiol. The overall yield in this process was 60%. When derivatives of catechol estrogens are synthesized, it is important to prepare desirable intermediates thereof, wherein a suitable protective group is introduced into desired position. For example, Nambara et al . [References (d) and (e)] described the preparation of 2-acetoxyestrogens 3-alkyl ether and 3-acetoxy-2-alkoxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene compounds from corresponding acetyl estrogens by Baeyer-Villiger oxidation in yields of 65 - 75% and 56 - 60%, respectively, in order to introduce desired substitution into desired positions. For the preparation of 2-hydroxyestrogen 3-glycoside, 2-benzyloxyestrogen benzyloxyestrogen is an important intermediate. The procedure described in References (d) and (e) involved 11 reaction steps for the synthesis of 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate from 3-deoxyestradiol acetate and its overall yield was only 6%, then, 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate was further subjected to glucuronidation to form 2-hydroxyestradiol 3-glucuronide in a overall yield of 0.33%. Thus, the procedures previously reported are not suitable for the manufacture thereof, because starting material is expensive, the process involves many reaction steps, and yield is not satisfactory. An object of the invention is to provide a method for the synthesis of intermediates for the production of novel glycosides of catechol estrogens which have an effective antioxidant activity, high solubility in water, and sufficient stability in body fluid and during the process of manufacture thereof. Another object of the invention is to provide suitable processes for the manufacture of catechol estrogen compounds, by taking the following points into consideration: (a) The starting material is available at reasonable cost; (b) The number of reaction steps is minimum; (c) Reaction time is as short as possible, and (d) Yield is satisfactory. The present inventors energetically studied and investigated to find a simple process in accordance with claim 1 for preparing 2-acetylestrogens with a good yield, from which they successfully prepared various glycosylated compounds of catechol estrogens. The glycosylated compounds thus obtained were met to their needs mentioned above. The process according to the invention is shown in the following Scheme. In the Scheme, Bn is benzyl group; Y is carbonyl group or Z is carbonyl group or R 1 is acetoxyl group; R 2 is a hydrogen atom, or ethynyl group; R 3 is a hydrogen atom or acetoxyl group; R 4 is a protective group with an acetal type; R 8 is hydroxyl group; R 9 is a hydrogen atom or hydroxyl group; R 12' is glycosyloxy group; and R 13' is glycosyloxy group; wherein glycosyloxy group is selected from the group consisting of glucosyloxy, galactosyloxy, mannosyloxy, arabinosyloxy, ribosyloxy, xylosyloxy, fructosyloxy, rhamnosyloxy, fucosyloxy, maltosyloxy, cellobiosyloxy, lactosyloxy, sucrosyloxy, maltotriosyloxy, maltotetraosyloxy, maltopentaosyloxy, maltohexaosyloxy, maltoheptaosyloxy, and sialosyloxy. As a result, it was found that 2-acetylestrogens of the formula: wherein Y and R 3 have the meanings as defined above, are useful as intermediates for the synthesis of catechol estrogens and glycosides thereof to open the way for the present invention. The following section describes the method of the invention in detail. 2-Acetylestrogens, which are key intermediates in the present invention, can be synthesized by subjecting estrogen 3-acetate to Fries rearrangement reaction. The important point in this process is that the reaction is carried out in the presence of acetyl chloride. It was found that the yield of 2-acetylestrogen from the starting material was increased to over 80% in the presence of acetyl chloride. The preferable amount of acetyl chloride is in a range of 0.1 to 0.6 in terms of molar ratio to estrogen 3-acetate. 2-Acetylestrogens are subjected to Baeyer-Villiger oxidation reaction to obtain 2-acetoxyestrogens. The previously available Baeyer-Villiger oxidation was carried out in the absence of an alkali metal salt, requiring long time to complete the reaction. On the contrary, the present invention found that Baeyer-Villiger oxidation in the presence of the alkali metal salt required only 1 or 2 days to complete the reaction by >80% yield. Alkali metal salt available in the present invention is selected from the following; disodium hydrogen phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, and potassium hydrogen carbonate. Any amount of the alkali metal salt is useful and its preferable amount is in a range between 0.1 and 5 in terms of molar ratio to 2-acetylestrogens. As to protective groups for hydroxyl group at C-3 position during Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, any radical can be used such as methyl, benzyl, t -butyldimethylsilyl, triisopropylsilyl, acetyl, benzoyl, methoxymethyl, tetrahydropyranyl, and so on. A process for preparing 3-glycosides of catechol estrogens involves 2-benzyloxyestrogens as an intermediate compound. It is prerequisite that the protection of hydroxyl group at C-3 must be stable during Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, hydrolysis of acetyl group, and benzylation. It was found that protective groups having an acetal type such as methoxymethyl, 2-methoxyethoxymethyl, and tetrahydropyranyl groups are satisfactory in this point of view. 2-Benzyloxyestrogens can be synthesized as follows: The hydroxyl group at C-3 of 2-acetylestrogens is protected by an acetal group to form 2-acetylestrogen 3-acetal compounds, subjecting to Baeyer-Villiger oxidation to form 2-acetoxyestrogen 3-acetal compounds, subjecting to hydrolysis to form 2-hydroxyestrogen 3-acetal compounds, subjecting to benzylation to form 2-benzyloxyestrogen 3-acetal compounds, and followed by elimination of 3-acetal group. According to the method of this invention, 2-benzyloxyestrogens can be synthesized from estrogens by 70% yield. The following section describes the process for the manufacture of catechol estrogen glycosides from estradiol as starting material. The first step is that estradiol was reacted with acetic anhydride in pyridine at room temperature for overnight, yielding estradiol diacetate stoichiometrically. Estradiol diacetate was heated at 80°C in nitrobenzene for 1 hour in the presence of 2mol equivalent of aluminum chloride and 0.4mol equivalent of acetyl chloride, and then 2-acetylestradiol 17-acetate was obtained by 85% yield. 2-Acetylestradiol 17-acetate was reacted with chloromethyl methyl ether in tetrahydrofuran containing sodium hydrogen, yielding 2-acetylestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether stoichiometrically, subjecting to Baeyer-Villiger oxidation with m -chloroperbenzoic acid in chloroform containing disodium hydrogen phosphate, and thus 2-acetoxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether was formed by 88% yield. As to the use of 2-acetoxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether in a process of the 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate production, a few procedures can be useful. First, 2-acetoxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether was converted to 2-hydroxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether by the reaction with potassium hydrogen carbonate in a mixture of acetone-water-methanol. 2-Hydroxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether was reacted with benzyl chloride in ethanol in the presence of potassium carbonate, yielding a mixture of 17-acetoxy- and 17-hydroxy-2-benzyloxy compounds. The mixture of 2-benzyloxy compounds was further treated with acetic anhydridepyridine. When phenyldiazomethane was used as a benzylating agent, acetyl group at C-17 was retained. Methoxymethyl group of 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether was eliminated to give 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate. Second, 2-acetoxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether was hydrolyzed in methanol in the presence of sodium hydroxide, and 2-hydroxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether thus obtained was reacted with benzyl chloride in ethanol in the presence of potassium carbonate to form 2-benzyloxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether. 17-Hydroxyl group of 2-benzyloxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether was reacted with acetic anhydride-pyridine for acetylation, followed by elimination of methoxymethyl group to give 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate. Third, the intermediate 2-benzyloxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether was subjected to hydrolysis in methanol containing HCl to form 2-benzyloxyestradiol, followed by acetylation of hydroxyl group at C-3 and C-17 in a solution containing acetic anhydride-pyridine. Then, 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate was obtained by selective hydrolysis in a mixture of acetone-water-methanol in the presence of potassium hydrogen carbonate. These three different processes provide 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate stoichiometrically from 2-acetoxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether. 2-Benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate can be reacted with acetobromoglucose in the presence of CdCO 3 and after deprotection, 2-hydroxyestradiol 3-glucoside was obtained. 2-Acetylestradiol 17-acetate was transformed to 2-acetylestradiol 17-acetate 3-benzyl ether, subjecting to Baeyer-Villiger oxidation in the presence of an alkali metal salt to form 2-acetoxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-benzyl ether, subjecting selective hydrolysis at C-2 to form 2-hydroxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-benzyl ether. 2-Hydroxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-benzyl ether was reacted with acetobromoglucose in the presence of CdCO 3 , and after deprotection, 2-hydroxyestradiol 2-glucoside was obtained. The present inventors have found that glycosides of catechol estrogens produced as described above acquired an increased hydrophilicity. For example, the volume of water required to dissolve 1 mg of various glycosides is as following; 2 to 3ml for 17-glucoside, 2ml for 17-maltoside, 0.7ml for 2-glucoside, and 3ml for 3-glucoside, while 1mg of 2-hydroxyestradiol cannot be dissolved in 3ml of water. Accordingly, the glycosides obtained in the present invention provide a way to prepare an injection containing the same. It was also found that glycosides of catechol estrogens retained antioxidant activity in the same degree to that of parent catechol estrogens and that the rate of incorporation of the glycosides into red blood cells was extremely decreased, indicating that half life of the glycosides was much improved. The glycosides of catechol estrogens obtained by the present invention have not estrogenic activity at the dosage required for antioxidant activity. The glycosides of catechol estrogens provide medicaments with desirable types such as injection, powder, tablets, capsules, ointment, and so on. The invention will now be further explained in more detail with reference to Manufacturing Examples, Test Examples and Medicine Preparation Examples. Example 1 a) Estradiol diacetate A mixture of estradiol (30g, 110mmol), pyridine (300ml, 3.71mol) and acetic anhydride (105ml, 1.08mol) was stirred overnight at room temperature. The reaction mixture was poured onto ice (1500g) and precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, and dried in vacuo to afford 39.3g (100%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (DMSO-d 6 ) δ ppm: 0.78 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 2.9 (15H, m, CH and CH 2 ), 2.01 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.23 (3H, s, C 3 -OCOCH 3 ), 4.62 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 6.83 (2H, m, C 2 -H and C 4 -H), and 7.28 (1H, d, J=10Hz, C 1 -H). b) 2-Acetylestradiol 17-acetate To a solution of estradiol diacetate (25.0g, 70.1mmol) in nitrobenzene (250ml), AlCl 3 (18.6g, 139mmol) and acetyl chloride (2.0ml, 28mmol) were added, and the solution was stirred for 1 hour at 80°C. The reaction mixture was cooled and poured onto ice (1000g). To this solution concentrated HCl (100ml) was added. After extraction with CHCl 3 , the organic layer was washed successively with 1N-HCl, saturated NaHCO 3 solution, and brine, and concentrated in vacuo to obtain a crude product (25.3g), to which methanol (MeOH) (150ml) was added to afford 17.7 g (70.6%) of the titled compound as an insoluble material. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo and subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, CHCl 3 : hexane = 2 : 1) to afford additional 3.48g of the titled compound. The total yield was 85%. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.84 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.2 - 3.0 (15H, m, CH and CH 2 ), 2.07 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.59 (3H, s, C 2 -COCH 3 ), 4.70 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 6.67 (1H, s, C 4 -H), 7.59 (1H, s, C 1 -H), and 12.03 (1H, s, C 3 -OH). Example 2 a) 2-Acetylestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether NaH (about 60% oil suspension, 1.01g) was washed with hexane by 3 times, and tetrahydrofuran (THF, 40ml) was added. Chloromethyl methyl ether (3.83ml, 50.4mmol), and 2-acetylestradiol 17-acetate (6.00g, 16.8mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 1-b in THF (70ml) were added to the NaH suspension. After the mixture was stirred at 50°C for 20 minutes, it was poured onto ice (100g). Water (600ml) was added to the mixture. The precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, and then dried in vacuo to afford 6.76g (100%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.82 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.2 - 3.0 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 2.05 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.62 (3H, s, C 2 -COCH 3 ), 3.50 (3H, s, O-CH 3 ), 4.68 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.24 (2H, s, O-CH 2 -O), 6.88 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), and 7.66 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.32 (hexane : AcOEt = 4 : 1). b) 2-Hydroxyestradiol 2,17-diacetate 3-methoxymethyl ether A mixture of 2-acetylestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether (2.50g, 6.24mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 2-a, m -chloroperbenzoic acid (2.15g, 12.5mmol), Na 2 HPO 4 (1.77g, 12.5mmol), and CHCl 3 (50ml) was stirred at room temperature for 16 hours. After removed an insoluble material by filtration, the filtrate was poured into ice-cooled ether. The organic layer was washed successively with 5% Na 2 CO 3 solution, water, and brine, thereafter dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 , and evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product (2.90g). A part (1.80g) of the crude product was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, hexane : AcOEt = 4 : 1) to afford 1.41g (87.6%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.81 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.2 - 3.0 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 2.05 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.30 (3H, s, C 2 -OCOCH 3 ), 3.46 (3H, s, O-CH 3 ), 4.69 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.12 (2H, s, O-CH 2 -O), 6.90 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), and 6.93 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.36 (hexane : AcOEt = 4 : 1). Example 3 a) 2-Acetylestradiol 17-acetate 3-benzyl ether To a solution of 2-acetylestradiol 17-acetate (15.0g, 42.1mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 1-b in EtOH (200ml), K 2 CO 3 (8.73g) and benzyl chloride (7.27ml) were added, and the mixture was refluxed for 3 hours. Additional amounts of K 2 CO 3 (5.82g) and benzyl chloride (4.84ml) were added, and the mixture was refluxed for further 1.5 hours. After the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature, it was then filtered to remove an insoluble material. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo and a residue was dissolved in CHCl 3 (500ml). The CHCl 3 solution was washed with brine, dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 , and then evaporated in vacuo to afford an oily residue. A mixture of the oily residue obtained above, pyridine (150ml), and acetic anhydride (55ml) was stirred overnight at room temperature. The reaction mixture was poured onto ice (1500g), and the precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, and then dried in vacuo to afford 18.7g (99.6%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.82 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 3.0 (15H, m, CH and CH 2 ), 2.05 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.57 (3H, s, C 2 -COCH 3 ), 4.69 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.11 (2H, s, C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 6.74 (1H, s, C 4 -H), 7.39 (5H, m, C 6 H 5 ), and 7.71 (1H, s, C 1 -H). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.33 (hexane : AcOEt = 5 : 1). b) 2-Hydroxyestradiol 2,17-diacetate 3-benzyl ether A mixture of 2-acetylestradiol 17-acetate 3-benzyl ether (1.00g, 2.24mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 3-a, m -chloroperbenzoic acid (0.773g, 4.48mmol) , Na 2 HPO 4 (0.318g, 2.24mmol), and CHCl 3 (25ml) was stirred at room temperature for 20 hours. The reaction mixture was poured into ether (150ml). The organic layer was washed successively with 5% NaOH solution, water, and brine, thereafter it was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product (1.02g), which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, CHCl 3 ) to afford 838mg (81%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.82 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 3.0 (15H, m, CH and CH 2 ), 2.05 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.25 (3H, s, C 2 -OCOCH 3 ), 4.68 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.04 (2H, s, C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 6.71 (1H, s, C 4 -H), 6.95 (1H, s, C 1 -H), and 7.36 (5H, br.s, C 6 H 5 ). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.49 (CHCl 3 ). Example 4 a) 2-Acetylestradiol 17-acetate 3-t-butyldimethylsilyl ether A mixture of 2-acetylestradiol 17-acetate (5.00g, 14.0mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 1-b, t -butyldimethylsilyl chloride (3.18g, 21.1mmol), imidazole (2.87g, 42.2mmol), and dimethylformamide (30ml) was stirred at room temperature for 20 hours. The reaction mixture was poured into water and extracted with CHCl 3 . The organic layer was washed with brine, dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 , and then evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product, which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, CHCl 3 ) to afford 6.64g (101%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.25 [6H, s, Si(CH 3 ) 2 ], 0.83 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.00 (9H, s Si- t -C 4 H 9 ), 1.1 - 3.0 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 2.05 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.58 (3H, s, C 2 -COCH 3 ), 4.68 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 6.57 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), and 7.55 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.39 (CHCl 3 ). b) 2-Hydroxyestradiol 2,17-diacetate 3-t-butyldimethylsilyl ether A mixture of 2-acetylestradiol 17-acetate 3- t -butyldimethylsilyl ether (1.00g, 2.12mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 4-a, m -chloroperbenzoic acid (0.733g, 4.25mmol), Na 2 HPO 4 (0.602g, 4.24mmol), and CHCl 3 (25ml) was stirred at room temperature for 19 hours. The reaction mixture was poured into ether (300ml). The organic layer was washed successively with 5% Na 2 CO 3 solution, water, and brine, thereafter it was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product, which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, CHCl 3 ) to afford 898mg (87%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.19 [6H, s, Si(CH 3 ) 2 ], 0.82 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 0.98 (9H, s, Si- t -C 4 H 9 ), 1.2 - 2.9 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 2.05 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.26 (3H, s, C 2 -OCOCH 3 ), 4.68 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 6.59 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), and 6.90 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.50 (CHCl 3 ). Example 5 a) 2-Acetylestradiol diacetate A mixture of 2-acetylestradiol 17-acetate (1.00g, 2.81mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 1-b, pyridine (6ml), and acetic anhydride (3ml) was stirred overnight at room temperature. The reaction mixture was poured onto ice (50g), and the precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, and then dried in vacuo to afford 1.11g (99.1%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.84 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 3.0 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 2.07 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.34 (3H, s, C 3 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.53 (3H, s, C 2 -COCH 3 ), 4.70 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 6.81 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), and 7.74 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.21 (CHCl 3 ). b) 2-Hydroxyestradiol triacetate A mixture of 2-acetylestradiol diacetate (100mg, 0.251mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 5-a, m -chloroperbenzoic acid (0.130g, 0.753mmol), Na 2 HPO 4 (71.3mg, 0.502mmol), and CHCl 3 (2ml) was stirred at room temperature for 40 hours. The reaction mixture was poured into ether (50ml). The organic layer was washed successively with 5% Na 2 CO 3 solution, water, and brine, thereafter it was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product, which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel thin-layer chromatography (developing solvent, CHCl 3 : MeOH = 100 : 1) to afford 92.9mg (89%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.82 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 3.0 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 2.05 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.27 (6H, s, C 2 -OCOCH 3 and C 3 -OCOCH 3 ), 4.68 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 6.87 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), and 7.05 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.37 (CHCl 3 ). Example 6 a) 2-Hydroxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether To a solution of 2-hydroxyestradiol 2,17-diacetate 3-methoxymethyl ether (1.35g, 3.24mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 2-b in acetone (32.3ml), a solution of KHCO 3 (647mg, 6.46mmol) in water (16.1ml) and MeOH (80.7ml) was added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 22 hours and then 50°C for 3 hours. After water (20ml) was added to the reaction mixture, acetone and MeOH were removed by evaporation. The precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, and then dried in vacuo to afford 1.20g (99.2%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.82 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.2 - 2.9 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 2.05 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 3.51 (3H, s, O-CH 3 ), 4.68 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.16 (2H, s, O-CH 2 -O), 5.74 (1H, s, C 2 -OH), 6.79 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), and 6.89 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.49 (hexane : AcOEt = 2 : 1). b) 2-Benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether To a solution of 2-hydroxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether (1.13g, 3.02mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 6-a in EtOH (25ml), K 2 CO 3 (626mg, 4.54mmol) and benzyl chloride (0.452ml, 3.93mmol) were added and the mixture was refluxed for 4 hours. Additional amount of benzyl chloride (0.174ml, 1.51mmol) was added, and the mixture was refluxed for further 2 hours. After the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature, it was then filtered to remove an insoluble material. The filtrate was evaporated in vacuo and a residue was mixed with water to obtain a precipitate. The precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, and then dried in vacuo to afford a mixture (1.44g) of 2-benzyloxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether and 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether. A part (1.41g) of the mixture of 2-benzyloxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether and 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether obtained above was treated with pyridine (4.0ml, 49.5mmol) and acetic anhydride (3.0ml, 31.7mmol) for 23 hours at room temperature. The reaction mixture was poured onto ice (150g), and 2N-HCl (40ml) was added to it. After extraction with AcOEt, the organic layer was washed successively with 1N-HCl, saturated NaHCO 3 solution, water, and brine, thereafter it was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product (1.51g), which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, hexane : AcOEt = 6 : 1) to afford 1.35g (98.5%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.81 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 2.9 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 2.05 (3H, s C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 3.51 (3H, s, O-CH 3 ), 4.68 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.10 (2H, s, C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 5.18 (2H, s, O-CH 2 -O), 6.85 (2H, s, Ar C 4 -H and C 1 -H), and 7.2 - 7.5 (5H, m, C 6 H 5 ). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.50 (hexane : AcOEt = 4 : 1). c) 2-Benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate A mixture of 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether (3.70g, 7.97mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 6-b, acetic acid (20ml), and 2N-HCl (2.0ml) was stirred at room temperature for 1.5 hours. The reaction mixture was poured into water (500ml), and the precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, and then dried in vacuo to obtain a crude product (3.41g), which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, hexane : AcOEt = 6 : 1) to afford 3.02g (90.1%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.83 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 2.9 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 2.05 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 4.69 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.06 (2H, s, C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 6.65 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), 6.85 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H), and 7.39 (5H, s, C 6 H 5 ). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.37 (hexane : AcOEt = 5 : 1). Example 7 a) 2-Hydroxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether A mixture of 2-hydroxyestradiol 2,17-diacetate 3-methoxymethyl ether (5.30g, 12.7mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 2-b, MeOH (106ml), and 1N-NaOH (53ml) was stirred at room temperature for 2.5 hours. After MeOH was removed by evaporation, acetic acid (2.37ml) was added to the residue. After extraction with AcOEt, the organic layer was washed successively with saturated NaHCO 3 solution, water, and brine, thereafter it was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and evaporated in vacuo to afford 4.23g (100%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.77 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 2.9 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 3.51 (3H, s, O-CH 3 ), 3.73 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.16 (2H, s, O-CH 2 -O), 5.75 (1H, br.s, C 2 -OH), 6.79 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), and 6.89 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.20 (hexane : AcOEt = 2 : 1). b) 2-Benzyloxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether To a solution of 2-hydroxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether (4.20g, 12.6mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 7-a in EtOH (100ml), K 2 CO 3 (2.62g, 19.0mmol) and benzyl chloride (1.89ml, 16.4mmol) were added, and the mixture was refluxed for 4 hours. Additional amount of benzyl chloride (0.73ml, 6.33mmol) was added, and the mixture was refluxed for further 2 hours. After the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature, it was then filtered to remove an insoluble material. The filtrate was concentrated in vacuo and a residue was mixed with water to obtain a precipitate. The precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, and then dried in vacuo to obtain a crude product (5.64g). A part (1.50g) of the crude product was subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, hexane: AcOEt = 3 : 1) to afford 1.40g (98.6%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.76 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.0 - 2.9 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 3.51 (3H, s, O-CH 3 ), 3.72 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.10 (2H, s C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 5.19 (2H, s, O-CH 2 -O), 6.85 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), 6.88 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H), and 7.2 - 7.5 (5H, m, C 6 H 5 ). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.38 (hexane : AcOEt = 2 : 1). c) 2-Benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-methoxymethyl ether A mixture of another part (4.00g) of the crude product of 2-benzyloxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether obtained by the process described in Example 7-b, pyridine (12ml, 148mmol), and acetic anhydride (9.0ml, 95.2mmol) was stirred for 23 hours at room temperature. The reaction mixture was poured onto ice (200g) and 2N-HCl (200ml) was added to it. After extraction with AcOEt, the organic layer was washed successively with 1N-HCl, saturated NaHCO 3 solution, water, and brine, thereafter it was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product (4.36g), which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, hexane : AcOEt = 6 : 1) to afford 3.93g (94.7% from 2-hydroxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether) of the titled compound. This compound showed the same physico-chemical data to those described in Example 6-b. This compound can he converted into 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate by the process described in Example 6-c. Example 8 a) 2-Benzyloxyestradiol A mixture of the purified 2-benzyloxyestradiol 3-methoxymethyl ether (1.35g, 3.19mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 7-b, MeOH (27ml), and concentrated HCl (2.7ml) was stirred for 2 hours at room temperature. After removal of a half volume of MeOH by evaporation, the residue was poured into water (300ml). The precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, and then dried in vacuo to afford 1.20g (99.2%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.78 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.0 - 2.9 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 3.73 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.07 (2H, s, C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 6.66 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), 6.87 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H), and 7.40 (5H, s, C 6 H 5 ). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.37 (hexane : AcOEt = 2 : 1). b) 2-Benzyloxyestradiol diacetate A mixture of 2-benzloxyestradiol (1.18g, 3.12mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 8-a, pyridine (3.0ml, 37.1mmol), and acetic anhydride (2.5ml, 26.4mmol) was stirred for 21 hours at room temperature. The reaction mixture was poured onto ice and the precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, and then dried in vacuo to afford 1.40g (97.2%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.82 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 2.9 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 2.06 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 2.26 (3H, s, C 3 -OCOCH 3 ), 4.68 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.04 (2H, s C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 6.75 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), 6.93 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H), and 7.36 (5H, s, C 6 H 5 ). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.42 (hexane : AcOEt = 4 : 1). c) 2-Benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate To a solution of 2-benzyloxyestradiol diacetate (1.35g, 2.92mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 8-b in acetone (29.2ml), a solution of KHCO 3 (585mg) in water (14.6ml) and MeOH (73.0ml) was added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 21 hours, followed at 50°C for 6 hours. After water was added to the reaction mixture, acetone and MeOH were removed by evaporation. The precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water, and then dried in vacuo to obtain a crude product (1.23g), which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, hexane : AcOEt = 6 : 1) to afford 1.18g (95.9%) of the titled compound. This compound showed the same physico-chemical data to those described in Example 6-c. Example 9 a) 2,3,4,6-Tetra-O-acetyl-1-O-(17β―acetoxy-2-benzyloxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-3-yl)-β―D-glucopyranoside CdCO 3 (6.55g, 38.0mol) was added to a solution of 2-benzyloxyestradiol 17-acetate (4.00g, 9.49mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 6-c in toluene (250ml), and the suspension was distilled until 50ml of toluene had been removed. A solution of acetobromoglucose (11.7g, 28.5mmol) in toluene (300ml) was added dropwise to the stirred mixture over 6 hours and an equal volume of toluene was simultaneously distilled to give a constant volume of the reaction mixture. Distillation was continued for further 15 hours during which generated moisture was removed. Additional amounts of CdCO 3 (6.55g) and acetobromoglucose (11.7g) were added, and the mixture was refluxed for further 18 hours during which generated moisture was removed. An insoluble material was removed off by filtration through a pad of Celite. The filtrate was evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product, which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, hexane : AcOEt = 2 : 1) to afford 4.30g (60.3%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.82 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 2.9 (30H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 , and OCOCH 3 x 5), 3.78 (1H, m, pyranose C 5 -H), 4.0 - 4.4 (2H, m, pyranose C 6 -H 2 ), 4.69 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 4.9 - 5.4 (6H, m, pyranose C 1 -H, C 2 -H, C 3 -H, C 4 -H, and C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 6.83 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H or C 1 -H), 6.88 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H or C 4 -H), and 7.2 - 7.5 (5H, m, C 6 H 5 ). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.26 (hexane : AcOEt = 2 : 1). b) 1-O-(2-Benzyloxy-17β―hydroxyl-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-3-yl)-β―D-glucopyranoside To 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-1-O-(17β―acetoxy-2-benzyloxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-3-yl)-β―D-glucopyranoside (4.20g, 5.59mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 9-a, MeOH (80ml) and 1N-NaOH (40ml) were added. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1.5 hours and then at 45°C for 1 hour. After removal of MeOH by evaporation, an aqueous layer was separated from an oily residue by decantation. The aqueous layer was extracted with AcOEt. The AcOEt layer and the oily residue were combined and concentrated in vacuo to obtain a crude product (2.71g), which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, CHCl 3 : MeOH = 8 : 1) to afford 2.25g (74.5%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CD 3 OD) δ ppm : 0.73 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.0 - 2.8 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 3.3 - 3.9 (7H, m, C 17 -H, and pyranose C 2 -H, C 3 -H, C 4 -H, C 5 -H and C 6 -H 2 ), 4.84 - 4.91 (1H, m, pyranose C 1 -H), 5.06 (2H, s, C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 6.88 (2H, s, Ar C 4 -H and C 1 -H), and 7.2 - 7.5 (5H, m, C 6 H 5 ). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.55 (CHCl 3 : MeOH = 5 : 1). c) 2-Hydroxyestradiol 3-(β―D-glucopyranoside) To a solution of 1-O-(2-benzyloxy-17β―hydroxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-3-yl)-β―D-glucopyranoside (2.03g, 3.75mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 9-b in MeOH (100ml), a suspension of 5% Pd/C (0.50g) in MeOH (50ml) was added, and the mixture was stirred under bubbling of H 2 for 2 hours. The catalyst Pd/C was removed off by filtration through a pad of Celite. The filtrate was evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product (1.65g), which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, CHCl 3 : MeOH = 5 : 1) to afford 1.57g (92.9%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CD 3 OD) δ ppm : 0.74 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.0 - 2.8 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 3.3 - 4.0 (7H, m, C 17 -H, and pyranose C 2 -H, C 3 -H, C 4 -H, C 5 -H and C 6 -H 2 ), 4.65 - 4.73 (1H, m, pyranose C 1 -H), 6.77 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), and 6.85 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H). 13 C-NMR spectrum (DMSO-d 6 ) δ ppm : 11.11, 22.71, 25.95, 26.98, 28.50, 29.85, 36.57, 38.41, 42.69, 43.62, 49.52, 60.79, 69.84, 73.30, 75.85, 77.10, 79.97, 103.00, 112.59, 117.62, 126.73, 134.75, 143.04, and 144.66. IR spectrum (KBr) cm -1 : 3408, 2920, 2868, 1588, 1502, 1436, 1408, 1384, 1352, 1282, 1210, 1068, 1040, 886, 864, 830, and 810. Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.24 (CHCl 3 : MeOH = 5 : 1). Solubility : 1.0mg/3ml (H 2 O). Example 10 a) 2-Hydroxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-benzyl ether To a solution of 2-hydroxyestradiol 2,17-diacetate 3-benzyl ether (9.00g, 19.4mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 3-b in acetone (450ml), a solution of KHCO 3 (9.00g) in water (225ml) and MeOH (1125ml) was added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 47 hours. The mixture was poured into ether (6000ml), and the organic layer was washed successively with water, and brine, thereafter it was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product (8.15g), which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, CHCl 3 ) to afford 7.59g (92.8%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.82 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 2.9 (15H, m, CH and CH 2 ), 2.05 (3H, s, C 17 -OCOCH 3 ), 4.68 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 5.05 (2H, s, C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 5.50 (1H, s, OH), 6.64 (1H, s, C 4 -H), 6.89 (1H, s, C 1 -H), and 7.39 (5H, br.s, C 6 H 5 ). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.36 (CHCl 3 ). b) 2,3,4,6-Tetra-O-acetyl-1-O-(17β―acetoxy-3-benzyloxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-2-yl)-β―D-glucopyranoside CdCO 3 (6.55g, 38.0mmol) was added to a solution of 2-hydroxyestradiol 17-acetate 3-benzyl ether (4.00g, 9.51mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 10-a in benzene (300ml), and the suspension was distilled until 100ml of benzene had been removed. A solution of acetobromoglucose (11.7g, 28.5mmol) in benzene (300ml) was added dropwise to the stirred mixture over 3 hours and an equal volume of benzene was simultaneously distilled to give a constant volume of the reaction mixture. Heating was continued further. After 30 minutes, additional amount of CdCO 3 (6.60g, 38.3mmol) was added, and after 19 hours, additional amounts of CdCO 3 (5.0g, 29.0mmol) and acetobromoglucose (5.3g, 12.9mmol) in benzene (100ml) were further added. The mixture was refluxed for further 23 hours, meanwhile generated moisture was removed. An insoluble material was removed off by filtration through a pad of Celite and washed with benzene. The filtrate and washings were combined and evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product, which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, hexane : AcOEt = 2 : 1) to afford 4.51g (63.3%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm : 0.82 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.1 - 2.9 (30H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 , and OCOCH 3 x 5), 3.73 (1H, m, pyranose C 5 -H), 4.0 - 4.4 (2H, m, pyranose C 6 -H 2 ), 4.68 (1H, t like, C 17 -H), 4.9 - 5.4 (6H, m, pyranose C 1 -H, C 2 -H, C 3 -H, C 4 -H, and C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 6.67 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), 7.07 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H), and 7.2 - 7.5 (5H, m, C 6 H 5 ). 13 C-NMR spectrum (DMSO-d 6 ) δ ppm : 11.81, 19.99, 20.16, 20.26, 20.75, 22.70, 25.57, 26.77, 27.14, 28.61, 36.46, 37.93, 42.42, 43.34, 49.03, 61.98, 68.27, 70.11, 70.81, 72.00, 81.81, 98.77, 115.08, 115.62, 127.22, 127.49, 128.14, 131.55, 132.42, 137.24, 144.01, 146.51, 168.83, 169.20, 169.42, 169.80, and 170.18. IR spectrum (KBr) cm -1 : 2936, 2872, 1756, 1508, 1434, 1372, 1246, 1222, 1042, and 906. MS spectrum (EI/DI) m/z : 750 (M + ). Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.27 (hexane : AcOEt = 2 : 1). c) 1-O-(3-Benzyloxy-17β―hydroxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-2-yl)-β―D-glucopyranoside To 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-1-O-(17β―acetoxy-3-benzyloxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-2-yl)-β―D-glucopyranoside (3.80g, 5.06mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 10-b, MeOH (266ml) was added. After the mixture was mildly heated to obtain a homogeneous solution, 1N-NaOH (76ml) was added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1.5 hours. After removal of MeOH by evaporation, the residue was extracted with AcOEt. The organic layer was washed with brine, dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 , and concentrated in vacuo to obtain a crude product (2.68g), which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, CHCl 3 : MeOH = 7 : 1) to afford 2.36g (86.1%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CD 3 OD) δ ppm : 0.77 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 1.0 - 2.8 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 3.2 - 4.0 (7H, m, C 17 -H, and pyranose C 2 -H, C 3 -H, C 4 -H, C 5 -H and C 6 -H 2 ), 4.82 - 4.90 (1H, m, pyranose C 1 -H), 5.09 (2H, s, C 6 H 5 C H 2 ), 6.71 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), 7.13 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H), and 7.2 - 7.6 (5H, m, C 6 H 5 ). 13 C-NMR spectrum (DMSO-d 6 ) δ ppm : 11.16, 22.70, 25.68, 26.87, 28.50, 29.85, 36.68, 38.36, 42.75, 43.67, 49.52, 60.74, 69.79, 70.60, 73.36, 76.83, 76.94, 79.97, 101.37, 114.48, 115.78, 127.38, 128.08, 129.87, 133.07, 137.62, 145.26, and 146.01. IR spectrum (KBr) cm -1 : 3400, 2920, 2868, 1504, 1454, 1412, 1382, 1324, 1286, 1260, 1210, 1072, 888, 748, and 698. Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.44 (CHCl 3 : MeOH = 5 : 1). d) 2-Hydroxyestradiol 2-(β―D-glucopyranoside) To a solution of 1-O-(3-benzyloxy-17β―hydroxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-2-yl)-β―D-glucopyranoside (2.30g, 4.25mmol) obtained by the process described in Example 10-c in MeOH (250ml), a suspension of 5% Pd/C (1.00g) in MeOH (100ml) was added, and the mixture was stirred under bubbling of H 2 for 2 hours. The catalyst Pd/C was removed off by filtration through a pad of Celite. The filtrate was evaporated in vacuo to obtain a crude product (1.85g), which was, in turn, subjected to silica gel chromatography (elution solvent, CHCl 3 : MeOH = 5 : 1) to afford 1.74g (91.1%) of the titled compound. 1 H-NMR spectrum (CD 3 OD) δ ppm : 0.74 (3H, s, 18-CH 3 ), 0.9 - 2.9 (15H, m, estrogen CH and CH 2 ), 3.3 - 4.0 (7H, m, C 17 -H, and pyranose C 2 -H, C 3 -H, C 4 -H, C 5 -H and C 6 -H 2 ), 4.6 - 4.8 (1H, m, pyranose C 1 -H), 6.52 (1H, s, Ar C 4 -H), and 7.11 (1H, s, Ar C 1 -H). 13 C-NMR spectrum (DMSO-d 6 ) δ ppm : 11.16, 22.76, 25.84, 26.93, 28.44, 29.91, 36.63, 38.52, 42.75, 43.67, 49.52, 60.85, 69.89, 73.36, 75.96, 77.10, 80.02, 103.38, 114.86, 115.57, 130.90, 143.31, and 144.71. IR spectrum (KBr) cm -1 : 3368, 2920, 2864, 1502, 1434, 1380, 1354, 1322, 1292, 1264, 1204, 1068, and 884. Silica gel TLC : Rf = 0.21 (CHCl 3 : MeOH = 5 : 1). Solubility : 1.5mg/0.5 - 1ml (H 2 O). Test Example 1 Reference Example (Inhibitory effect of 2-hydroxyestradiol 17-glucoside on the lipid peroxidation of low-density lipoprotein) Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was prepared from hyper-cholesterolemic rabbit serum. 2-Hydroxyestradiol 17-(β-D-glucopyranoside) (2-OHE 2 17-Glu) was dissolved in distilled water and 2-hydroxyestradiol (2-OHE 2 ) as a reference compound, in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), to give a final concentration of 500µ M. The reaction mixture contained the followings in a final volume of lml: 500µ g of LDL; 5nmol of CuSO 4 ; and 5nmol of either 2-OHE 2 17-Glu or 2-OHE 2 . As blank tests, distilled water or DMSO was added in place of 2-OHE 2 17-Glu or 2-OHE 2 . After incubation for a definite time at 30°C, the amount of lipid hydroperoxides generated was determined by the methylene blue method. Results are shown in following Table 1. It was found that 2-OHE 2 17-Glu clearly inhibited the peroxidation of LDL and that its inhibitory potency was the same to that of 2-OHE 2 . Compounds Incubation time 1 hr. 2 hr. 3 hr. 4 hr. 2-OHE 2 17-Glu 8.93 19.48 24.76 32.17 Water 35.41 80.36 123.79 167.72 2-OHE 2 17.45 24.55 27.29 30.74 DMSO 35.51 74.35 115.77 150.07 Values in Table 1 indicate the amount of lipid peroxides (nmol/mg protein). Test Example 2 Reference Example (Inhibitory effect of 2-hydroxyestradiol 2-glucoside on the lipid peroxidation of rat brain homogenate) 2-Hydroxyestradiol 2-(β-D-glucopyranoside) (2-OHE 2 2-Glu) obtained according to the method of this invention (Example 10) was dissolved in water to give a concentration of lmM or 0.5mM. The reaction mixture contains the followings in a final volume of 2ml: 1.98ml of rat brain homogenate (10mg protein/ml) and 2-OHE 2 2-Glu at a concentration of 5µ M or 10µ M. After incubation at 37°C, lipid peroxide level was determined by the thiobarbituric acid method. Following Table 2 clearly shows that 2-OHE 2 2-Glu strongly inhibited the lipid peroxidation in a concentration dependent manner. Compounds Incubation time 0 hr. 1 hr. 2 hr. 4 hr. 2-OHE 2 2-Glu (10µ M) 0.271 0.905 1.326 1.534 2-OHE 2 2-Glu (5µ M) 0.271 1.124 1.867 3.167 Water 0.258 1.532 2.761 4.659 Values in Table 2 indicate the amount of lipid peroxides (nmol/mg protein) in terms of malondialdehyde. Test Example 3 Reference Example (Inhibitory effect of 2-hydroxyestradiol 2-glucoside on the lipid peroxidation of rat liver homogenate) A rat liver homogenate was prepared in 4 volume of 0.15M KCl. 2-OHE 2 2-Glu was dissolved in distilled water and 2-OHE 2 , in 1% DMSO, to give a final concentration of lmM. The reaction mixture contained the followings in a final volume of 2ml; 1.98ml of rat liver homogenate (10mg protein/ml) and 10µ M either 2-OHE 2 2-Glu or 2-OHE 2 . As blank tests, the same volume of distilled water or 1% DMSO was added in place of 2-OHE 2 2-Glu or 2-OHE 2 . After incubation for 4 hours at 37°C, lipid peroxide level was determined by the thiobarbituric acid method. It was found that 2-OHE 2 2-Glu and 2-OHE 2 inhibited the lipid peroxidation by 77% and 73%, respectively. Test Example 4 Reference Example (Incorporation of glycosides of 2-hydroxyestradiol into red blood cells) The reaction mixture contained 0.2nmol of 2-OHE 2 , 2-OHE 2 17-Glu, or 2-hydroxyestradiol 17-(β-maltoside) (2-OHE 2 17-Mal), in 0.1ml of 0.2% DMSO-0.1% ascorbic acid in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and 0.9ml of suspension of red blood cells in PBS. After incubation at 37°C for several intervals, the mixture was centrifuged and supernatant fraction was obtained, and then the amount of each glycoside of 2-hydroxyestradiol remained in the supernatant was determined by HPLC. Following Table 3 shows that the incorporation of 2-OHE 2 17-Glu and 2-OHE 2 17-Mal into red blood cells was markedly retarded as compared with that of 2-OHE 2 . This fact indicates that glycosylated compounds of 2-OHE 2 are advantageous in a point of view as a long-acting drug. Incubation time Compounds 2-OHE 2 2-OHE 2 17-Glu 2-OHE 2 17-Mal 0.5 min. 4.4 74.7 102 1.0 min. 4.4 54.1 90.1 2.0 min. 3.7 39.9 80.3 3.0 min. - 20.6 86.9 4.0 min. - 16.7 77.1 5.0 min. - 13.5 81.0 Values in Table 3 indicate residual amount (%) in the incubation medium. - : not determined. Test Example 5 (Acute toxicity) Reference Example Male mice of ddY strain were received 2-OHE 2 17-Glu or 2-OHE 2 2-Glu by an intraperitoneal injection at doses of 250mg, 500mg, 750mg, or 1000mg/kg body weight. All mice survived over an observation period of 2 weeks and no abnormal symptom was found. Therefore, LD 50 of the glycosides was found to be over 1000mg/kg body weight. Medicine Preparation Example 1 (Drip infusion) Reference Example Ingredients listed below were blended in a conventional manner to prepare a drip infusion. Prescription : Glycoside of catechol estrogen 50 mg Ascorbic acid 5 mg Isotonic sodium chloride solution 250 ml Medicine Preparation Example 2 (Subcutaneous injection) Reference Example Ingredients listed below were blended in a conventional manner to prepare a subcutaneous injection. Prescription : Glycoside of catechol estrogen 10 mg Propylene glycol 0.8 ml Distilled water for injection 1.2 ml Medicine Preparation Example 3 (Tablet) Reference Example With use of following ingredients, a tablet was prepared in a conventional manner. Prescription : Glycoside of catechol estrogen 50 (mg) Lactose 50 Starch 145 Talc 4 Magnesium stearate 1

Claims: A method comprising steps of protecting hydroxyl group at C-3 in a compound having the formula of wherein Y is carbonyl group or in which R 1 is acetoxyl group, and R 2 is a hydrogen atom or ethynyl group; and and R 3 is a hydrogen atom or acetoxyl group, to form a protected compound having the formula of wherein Y and R 3 have the meanings as defined above, and R 5 is a protective group, and subjecting the protected compound to Baeyer-Villiger oxidation in the presence of a peracid and an alkali metal salt selected from the group consisting of disodium hydrogen phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, and potassium hydrogen carbonate to form a 2-acetoxyl compound having the formula of wherein Y, R 3 and R 5 have the meanings as defined above. A method as claimed in Claim 1, further comprising steps of subjecting said 2-acetoxyl compound, in which the protective group at C-3 is an acetal type one, to hydrolysis to form a 2-hydroxyl compound having the formula of wherein Y and R 3 have the meanings as defined above, and R 4 is the protective group with acetal type, subjecting 2-hydroxyl compound to benzylation to form a 2-benzyloxy compound having the formula of wherein Y, R 3 and R 4 have the meanings as defined above, and subjecting 2-benzyloxy compound to elimination of the protective group at C-3 to form a compound having the formula of wherein Y and R 3 have the meanings as defined above.

Inventors: ISHIDA NAOKO, KOMURA SADAAKI, OHISHI NOBUKO, SUZUKI TAKEHIKO, YAGI KUNIO, ISHIDA, NAOKO, KOMURA, SADAAKI, OHISHI, NOBUKO, SUZUKI, TAKEHIKO, YAGI, KUNIO
Applicants: APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY INST, INSTITUTE OF APPLIED BIOCHEMISTRY
Application year: 1992
Main classification: C07J17
IPC codes: C07J1, C07J51, C07J17