Structural transformation of methasterone with Cunninghamella blakesleeana and Macrophomina phaseolina

An anabolic-androgenic synthetic steroidal drug, methasterone (1) was transformed by two fungi, Cunninghamella blakesleeana and Macrophimina phaseclina. A total of six transformed products, 6β,7β,17β-trihydroxy-2α,17α-dimethyl-5α-androstane-3-one (2), 6β,7α,17β-trihydroxy-2α,17α-dimethyl-5α-androstane-3-one (3), 6α,17β-dihydroxy-2α,17α-dimethyl-5α-androstane-3,7-dione (4), 3β,6β,17β-trihydroxy-2α,17α-dimethyl-5α-androstane-7-one (5), 7α,17β-dihydroxy-2α,17α-dimethyl-5α-androstane-3-one (6), and 6β,9α,17β-trihydroxy-2α,17α-dimethyl-5α-androstane-3-one (7) were synthesized. Among those, compounds 2–5, and 7 were identified as new transformed products. MS, NMR, and other spectroscopic techniques were performed for the characterization of all compounds. Substrate 1 (IC(50) = 23.9 ± 0.2 μg mL(−1)) showed a remarkable anti-inflammatory activity against nitric oxide (NO) production, in comparison to standard LNMMA (IC(50) = 24.2 ± 0.8 μg mL(−1)). Whereas, its metabolites 2, and 7 showed moderate inhibition with IC(50) values of 38.1 ± 0.5 μg mL(−1), and 40.2 ± 3.3 μg mL(−1), respectively. Moreover, substrate 1 was found to be cytotoxic for the human normal cell line (BJ) with an IC(50) of 8.01 ± 0.52 μg mL(−1), while metabolites 2–7 were identified as non-cytotoxic. Compounds 1–7 showed no cytotoxicity against MCF-7 (breast cancer), NCI-H460 (lung cancer), and HeLa (cervical cancer) cell lines.