“…In 1903, Windaus1•2 and Mauthner and Suida3 independently discovered that cholesteryl acetate and the free sterol on nitration afford 6-nitrocholesteryl acetate and the 6-nitro-3-nitrate, respectively, and that both substances on reduction with zinc and acetic acid give eholestane-33-ol-6-one, as acetate or as free alcohol, in high yield. 4-Cholestene, by the same transformations, affords cholestane-4-one4; A6-cholestene4 and A5-stigmas-tene5 (sitostene) have also been nitrated. Highyield procedures have been reported for nitration of cholesterol6 in acetic acid according to Windaus and for nitration of cholesteryl acetate7 with nitric acid-sodium nitrite according to Mauthner and Suida.…”