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Bacillus stearothermophilus, a thermophilic bacterium isolated from the Kuwaiti desert, produced a variety of monohydroxy androstene derivatives and an oxidized product when incubated with exogenous testosterone for 24 h at 65 degrees C. The major metabolite was identified as androst-4-en-3,17-dione while minor metabolites included 6 alpha-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3,17-dione, 6 beta-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3,17-dione, 6 alpha-hydroxytestosterone, and 6 beta-hydroxytestosterone. These metabolites were purified by TLC and HPLC followed by their identification using (1)H- and (13)C-NMR and other spectroscopic data.

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Side chain cleavage by biotransformation of 17a-hydroxyprogesterone 1 and 21-hydroxyprogesterone 2 by the thermophile, Geobacillus stearothermophilus was investigated. The side chain cleavage product, androst-4-ene-3,17-dione 1a & 2a, was a common product formed from both substrates. 17a-hydroxy-5a-pregnane-3,6,20-trione 1b and 17a-20a-dihydroxyprogesterone 1c were formed from 1. A rare 17-carboxylic acid analogue of androstene 2b, a transformation product of 2, was also identified. G. stearothermophilus also facilitated hydroxylation of 17a-hydroxyprogesterone at 6a-and 6b-positions resulting in 6b,17a-dihydroxyprogesterone 1d, 6a,17a-dihydroxyprogesterone 1e, 6b,21-dihydroxyprogesterone 2c and 6a,21-dihydroxyprogesterone 2d. All transformation products were identified through their spectral data and comparison with reference compounds.