Word: diosgenin
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...pill's hormones are derived mostly from a chemical called diosgenin, which until 1945 was obtainable only in small quantities from tropical plants. Then Dr. George Rosenkranz, at that time a Syntex research chemist, found that the Mexican yam, or barbasco root, yielded much larger amounts of diosgenin. In 1951 Syntex's Dr. Carl Djerassi first synthesized from it female sex hormones that women could swallow. Later it was discovered that the hormones were effective as an oral contraceptive. Syntex then began selling the compound to other drug firms, later introduced its own pill. Both Syntex and Searle...
Last week Syntex announced that a group of its chemists headed by Dr. George Rosenkranz had at last accomplished the feat, starting with diosgenin from cabeza de negro. They transformed it by 18 chemical steps to "Reichstein's Compound D,* which had been found in minute quantities in the adrenal gland, but had never been synthesized. Only three more steps were needed to turn this compound into cortisone...
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