Metabolism of dehydroisoandrosterone and other steroids by surviving slices of the potato tuber and additional plant tissues.

The conversion of dehydroisoandrosterone to its ,B-D-glucopyranoside is readily effected by surviving slices of the potato tuber at pH 8. This reaction is largely limited to dehydroisoandrosterone and isoandrosterone, and is slowly reversed at pH 4 as the result of weak P-glucosidase-like activity. Potatoes also contain an active /?-glucuronidase which differs from known preparations in possessing the same substrate specificity as noted for the above glucoside-synthesixing system. In the course of surveying a number of plant tissues for their ability to glucosidate dehydroisoandrosterone, the reduction of this substrate to androstenediol and its oxidation to androstenedione by the green bean and pineapple, respectively, were noted. Steric requirements involved in the synthesis and hydrolysis of a number of steroidal P-D-glucopyranosides by potato slices and their hydrolysis by emulsin have been detlned.