Pharmaceutical industry progesterone

With the increasing interest in natural source antioxidants, such as tocopherols, and the use of both stigmasterol and (3-sitosterol as raw materials for the production of progesterone and esterone by the pharmaceutical industry, it is likely that deodorizer distillates will continue to be an important by-product for some vegetable oil processors. 

Progesterone, cortisol, cortisone, aldosterone and related compounds have hormone activity in animals (E 3.1). Progesterone regulates the metabolic activity of the gonads. It is synthesized mainly in the corpus luteum and the placenta. Cortisol, cortisone, and aldosterone influence carbohydrate and mineral metabolism. They are formed in the adrenal cortex (corticosteroids), but also in the gonads and the placenta. All compounds mentioned are used in medicine (F 2) and are produced by the pharmaceutical industry, e.g., from steroid saponins (D 6.4.2) or steroid alkaloids (D 6.4.3). 

Many analogs of the endogenous steroids 17p-estradiol, 17P-testosterone, and progesterone (Fig. 1) have been developed by the pharmaceutical industry for therapeutic purposes. Functional groups have been modified or added, by small or larger chemical modifications, to alter the strength and mode of action, to enable oral administration, and to influence other pharmacokinetic properties. 

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