This invention discloses a chemical-biological fusion method for
cholesterol synthesis. Using
plant-derived 21-hydroxy-20-methylpregn-4-en-3-one, also known as bis(2-hydroxy-2-yl)-3-one (BA), as a
raw material,
cholesterol is synthesized through a four-step reaction involving sulfonation,
acetylation,
enzymatic hydrolysis and reduction, and Grignard
coupling. Addressing the drawbacks of traditional animal-derived
cholesterol, which carries unpredictable risks of
pathogenic bacteria and viruses, this invention uses
plant-derived steroidal
raw material BA to synthesize cholesterol. This method not only offers high safety, avoiding the risk of
pathogenic bacteria and viral infections, but also utilizes the tandem
catalysis of
esterase and
carbonyl reductase during synthesis, along with coenzyme regeneration, to obtain key intermediates with high
stereoselectivity and in a safe and clean manner. This significantly shortens the
cholesterol synthesis route, increases efficiency, simplifies operation, minimizes
solvent recycling losses, reduces waste, and allows for mild
reaction conditions. This method is safe, economical, and suitable for industrial production.