Sulfated and Sulfur-Containing Steroids and Their Pharmacological Profile.

The review focuses on sulfated steroids that have been isolated from seaweeds, marine sponges, soft corals, ascidians, starfish, and other marine invertebrates. Sulfur-containing steroids and triterpenoids are sourced from sedentary marine coelenterates, plants, marine sediments, crude oil, and other geological deposits. The review presents the pharmacological profile of sulfated steroids, sulfur-containing steroids, and triterpenoids, which is based on data obtained using the PASS program. In addition, several semi-synthetic and synthetic epithio steroids, which represent a rare group of bioactive lipids that have not yet been found in nature, but possess a high level of antitumor activity, were included in this review for the comparative pharmacological characterization of this class of compounds. About 140 steroids and triterpenoids are presented in this review, which demonstrate a wide range of biological activities. Therefore, out of 71 sulfated steroids, thirteen show strong antitumor activity with a confidence level of more than 90%, out of 50 sulfur-containing steroids, only four show strong antitumor activity with a confidence level of more than 93%, and out of eighteen epithio steroids, thirteen steroids show strong antitumor activity with a confidence level of 91% to 97.4%.

In vivo metabolism of the designer anabolic steroid hemapolin in the thoroughbred horse.

Hemapolin (2α,3α-epithio-17α-methyl-5α-androstan-17ß-ol) is a designer steroid that is an ingredient in several "dietary" and "nutritional" supplements available online. As an unusual chemical modification to the steroid A-ring could allow this compound to pass through antidoping screens undetected, the metabolism of hemapolin was investigated by an in vivo equine drug administration study coupled with GC-MS analysis. Following administration of synthetically prepared hemapolin to a thoroughbred horse, madol (17α-methyl-5α-androst-2-en-17ß-ol), reduced and dihydroxylated madol (17α-methyl-5α-androstane-2ß,3α,17ß-triol), and the isomeric enone metabolites 17ß-hydroxy-17α-methyl-5α-androst-3-en-2-one and 17ß-hydroxy-17α-methyl-5α-androst-2-en-4-one, were detected and confirmed in equine urine extracts by comparison with a library of synthetically derived reference materials. A number of additional madol derivatives derived from hydroxylation, dihydroxylation, and trihydroxylation were also detected but not fully identified by this approach. A yeast cell-based androgen receptor bioassay of available reference materials showed that hemapolin and many of the metabolites identified by this study were potent activators of the equine androgen receptor. This study reveals the metabolites resulting from the equine administration of the androgen hemapolin that can be incorporated into routine GC-MS antidoping screening and confirmation protocols to detect the illicit use of this agent in equine sports.

Synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of 10-undecenoic acid-based epithio derivatives as multifunctional additives.

Novel epithio compounds from alkyl epoxy undecanoates (n-alkyl, C1, C4, and C6; isoalkyl, C3, C4, and C8) were synthesized using an ammonium thiocyanate in ionic liquid 1-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate/H2O (2:1) solvent system in 85-90% yields by gas chromatographic (GC) analysis. The synthesized products were characterized by (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography, and GC mass spectral (GC-MS) analyses and evaluated for their antioxidant, extreme pressure (EP), and antiwear (AW) properties in three different base oils, namely, epoxy jatropha fatty acid n-butyl esters (EJB), di-2-ethylhexyl sebacate (DOS), and mineral oil (S-105). Among the synthesized products, n-butyl epithio undecanoate exhibited superior antioxidant property (229.2 °C) compared to butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, 193.8 °C) in base oil DOS and comparable performance in EJB and S-105 base oils. All of the epithio derivatives exhibited significantly enhanced weld point for the base oils EJB and DOS at 2 wt % level and displayed moderate enhancement in S-105 base oil. Methyl epithio undecanoate at 0.6% concentration exhibited considerable improvement in the wear scar of DOS base oil. The synthesized epithio derivatives have potential as multifunctional additives in lubricant formulations.