Algal transformation of hydrocortisone by the cyanobacterium Nostoc ellipsosporum

The potential of Nostoc ellipsosporum for biotransformation of hydrocortisone was studied. The microorganism was isolated during a screening program from soil samples collected from the paddy fields in the north of Iran and had not been previously examined for this purpose. The biotransformation yielded 11 beta ,17 alpha ,20 beta , 21-tetrahydroxypregn-4-en-3-one and 11 beta -hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione. Both of the metabolites were purified chromatographically and characterized using instrumental analyses.