Structure-activity relationship study of androstene steroids with respect to local anti-inflammatory activity.

A sex hormone, 3beta-acetoxy-17beta-hydroxy-androst-5-ene (1) (CAS 1639-43-6), was isolated from aerial parts of Acacia nilotica. This compound is reported to have anti-inflammatory activity. In view of this, considering this molecule as a lead molecule different androstene compounds were synthesized to study their potency and structure-activity relationship with respect to local anti-inflammatory activity. The experiments indicated that 17 ketonic compounds were more active towards inflammation than their oxime analogues. Similarly, for the compounds containing an acetyl group fixed at C-3 position a decreasing trend of activity was observed in the order of ketonic, hydroxyl, oxime and acetyl group, respectively, when these groups are at C-17 position.