THE CHEMISTRY OF CHOLESTERINE 



IOI 



this assumption, and the y position remains therefore as most 

 probable. 



Towards neutral permanganate cholesterine is very stable, 

 but on the addition of alkali a triatomic alcohol, C 27 H i6 3} is 

 obtained, though the yield is only some 5 per cent, of the 

 theoretical. This "triol" is readily attacked by chromic acid, 

 giving a diketone isomeric with oxycholestendiol, which like 

 that body easily passes to oxycholestenone with loss of water. 

 Thus : 



CH 



CHOHCHOH 

 Triol : m.p. 236 



CH 



•s 



CO CHOH CO CH 



CftHjgO, : m.p. 253 Oxycholestenone : m.p. 122° 



These various oxidation effects are put together in the 

 following scheme : 



Cholesterine 



C27HJBO 



" Triol," C 27 H 46 0, 

 w +CrO, 

 Diketone, Q> 7 H 42 



>o 



* 



O 



o 

 u 



V 



Nitro-body, C^H^NOa 



\ 



Oxycholestendiol Oxycholestenol 

 CffH^O, C 2 7H 4S 02 



-H 2 * 



Oxycholestenone 

 CtfH 40 O 2 



IS 



O"- 



+ H 2 



Cholestanonol 

 C 2 7H 44 2 



Cholestandione 

 Cj7H 4S O a 



In addition to the neutral bodies described above, chromic 



