Patent ID: 7365218

Claim:
A process for preparing Guggulsterones which comprises epoxidising 16-dihydropegnenolone acetate (16 DPA) by reacting 16DPA with a hydrogen peroxide reagent adduct on a solid support selected from hydrogen peroxide-urea adduct and hydrogen peroxide-sodium carbonate adduct in the presence of a co-base in a polar solvent to obtain 3 β hydroxy-16 α, 17-oxido-5 pregnen-20-one, reacting the isolated 3 β hydroxy-16α, 17-oxido-5pregnen-20-one with an anhydrous hydrazine in the presence of a base selected from the group consisting of trialkylamine, guanidine potassium tertiarybutaoxide, alkalimetal-hexadimethylsilazane, and lithium diisopropylamide or a mixture thereof at reflux temperature followed by oxidation to obtain-5, 17-(20)-cis and trans pregnadiene-3 β, 16-diol of the formula Va and Vb said 5, 17-(20)-cis and trans pregnadiene-3 β, 16 diol are obtained without chromatographic separation, and oxidizing the 5,17-(20)-cis and trans pregnadiene 3 β,16 diol to obtain guggulsterones of formula Ia and Ib