17-ketosteroids and potassium-hydroxide

Improvements in the Zimmermann reaction are effected by using methanol as a solvent for the reagents employed in the reaction in place of ethanol or aqueous ethanol. The advantages are as follows. Considerably lower blanks are obtained; extraneous chromogens are negligible at the wavelength of measurement, so that no correction procedure or extraction process is required; high concentrations of potassium hydroxide may be used at an elevated temperature leading to good sensitivity and a considerably shortened reaction time; and finally, the potassium hydroxide is stable for long periods under good storage conditions. A steroid with keto (oxo) groups at positions 3, 11, and 20, but not at 17, failed to give any coloured product.

Topics: 17-Ketosteroids; Ethanol; Hydroxides; Methanol; Potassium Compounds; Solvents

The use of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (T.M.A.H.) in place of potassium hydroxide in the Zimmermann reaction has been investigated. Although various pure steroids have different colour equivalents, a comparison of the results of 17-ketosteroid and 17-hydroxycorticosteroid estimations on a series of urines showed that the differences for the two reagents were only small and may be ignored. Tetramethylammonium hydroxide has the considerable advantage over potassium hydroxide of stability and need not be prepared freshly. The correction procedures available are discussed.

Topics: 17-Ketosteroids; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Ammonium Compounds; Health Services Needs and Demand; Hydroxides; Potassium Compounds; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds

Topics: 17-Ketosteroids; Colorimetry; Humans; Hydroxides; Ketosteroids; Potassium; Potassium Compounds