“…3 The correct 3• 5• 7-cholestatriene was recently prepared by Gould, et al, (18) who showed that such a compound was characterized by a strongly negative rotation ([a]D -122°), ultraviolet absorption maxima at 302.5, 315, and 330 µ, and by the uptake of only two moles of hydrogen upon catalytic hydrogenation (the 7,8-double bond not being reduced). Eckhardt's triene (17), on the other hand as was recently confirmed by Schmutz, Schaltegger, and Sanz (14), exhibits a much more positive rotation ([a]D -13.5°), and ultraviolet absorption maxima at 295, 305 µ, and an inflection at 320 µ, in excellent agreement with the maxima observed for our triene V. As pointed out by the Swiss workers (14), the physical data, the fact that the triene takes up three moles of hydrogen, and that it forms an adduct with maleic anhydride, all support a 2•4 *• 6-cholestatriene structure. We have independently reached the same conclusion with regard to the structure of the triene isolated in the sapogenin series, since the latter (V) takes up three moles of hydrogen with formation of 22-isoallospirostan (VII) (19) and also yields a well crystallized adduct (VIII) with maleic anhydride.…”