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Structural and Configurational Dependence of the Sensory Process in Steroids
Author(s) -
Ohloff Günther,
Maurer Bruno,
Winter Beat,
Giersch Wolfgang
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
helvetica chimica acta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.74
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1522-2675
pISSN - 0018-019X
DOI - 10.1002/hlca.19830660121
Subject(s) - chemistry , regioselectivity , odor , steroid , stereochemistry , enantiomer , epimer , diastereomer , structural isomer , biochemistry , organic chemistry , hormone , catalysis
Structural modifications of testosterone and 19‐nortestosterone have led to the synthesis of over 60 androstane and estrane derivatives whose sensory evaluation has allowed molecular parameters to be established for release of a ‘steroid‐type’ scent. Odor perception with O‐containing compounds in both classes has been found to be regioselective . Osmophoric groups at C(3) were found to be the most active and specific. Functionality at C(2) is accompanied to a large extent by anosmic defects, and O‐containing substituents at C(1) and C(4) appear to affect the receptor membrane in exceptional cases. A further characteristic of the ‘steroid‐type’ scent is diastereoselectivity . The odor intensity of axial 2‐ and 3‐hydroxysteroids is far greater than that of the equatorial epimers, and epimeric hydroxy‐groups in the 1‐, 4‐, and 5‐positions lead to almost complete absence of odor. In addition, only steroids with ‘normal’ ring junctions and configuration were found to be odorants, whereas compounds with cis ‐junctions between rings A and B, or C and D, were found to be practically inactive, Steroids therefore folow the ‘triaxial rule of odor sensation’. The most remarkable feature of our findings with steroid odorants is enantioselectivity The term ‘regioselective’ is currently used for a reaction in which formation of one structural (or positional) isomer is favored over another. For convenience we use ‘regioselective’, ‘diastereoselective’ or ‘enantioselective’ for substrate‐receptor interactions in which one positional isomer, diastereoisomer or enantiomer leads to a different sensory response (in quality and/or intensity) than another. . Whereas with C 19 ‐steroids of the ‘natural’ enantiomeric series the perception threshold is extremely low (<6 ppb), the corresponding ‘unnatural’ enantiomers have been found essentially odorless by a panel of 30 persons. This appears to be the first reported instance of a total enantioselective response to an odorant.