Issue 10/2015 - New technology solves the problem of steroidal saponin contamination

Recently, the team led by Professor Tian Weisheng of the Shanghai Institute of Organic Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, officially signed a clean oxidative degradation technology transfer contract
with Jiangsu Changzhou Jiaerke Pharmaceutical Group Co.
, Ltd.
after completing the industrial trial production of clean technology for the oxidative degradation of sisal saponin 100 kg of hydrogen peroxide instead of chromium anhydride.
Relevant experts of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said that this new clean technology has achieved 100% utilization of steroidal saponin raw materials and eliminated the generation of pollutants from the source, which is a successful example
of zero emission in the production of chemical products.

According to reports, the use of steroidal saponin to synthesize steroid drugs first needs to oxidatively degrade them to become the corresponding steroid drugs key synthesis intermediate diene or monoene.

At present, the technology of oxidative degradation of steroidal saponin adopted by Chinese enterprises is still the chromium anhydride oxidative degradation method
invented in the 30s of the last century.
This technology has serious environmental pollution and resource waste problems
.

In order to completely solve the problem that the original technology plagued the development of China's steroid drug industry, Tian Weisheng's scientific research team began to systematically study the various reaction conditions and mechanisms of steroidal saponin and hydrogen peroxide and oxygen (the cleanest oxidant) since 1990, understood the needs of enterprises through field research, repeatedly optimized the production process conditions, and finally completed the industrial trial production
of steroidal saponin clean oxidative degradation technology.
The new technology can not only manufacture important intermediates for the synthesis of steroid drugs such as monoenes, but also process the by-products in the degradation process of enterprises to obtain chiral reagents
with higher value.
These chiral reagents are important raw materials for the synthesis of chiral drugs (such as muskone, agatroban, etc.
), high-efficiency chiral pesticides (insect pheromones and juvenile-preserving hormones) and precious spices, which will create greater economic benefits
in the industrial chain.

Experts said that the promotion and application of this new technology will open up the entire industrial chain of the steroid drug industry, and bring considerable economic and social benefits
to the upstream and downstream industries while completely solving the major environmental pollution problems in the production and deep processing of steroidal saponin.
The promotion and application of new technologies can not only improve the rational utilization of steroidal saponin resources in China, promote the development of upstream and downstream industrial chains, but also contribute to
environmental protection.
(Chemical)