CHEMICAL METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF 17-HYDROXYCORTICOSTEROIDS AND 17-KETOSTEROIDS IN URINE FOLLOWING HYDROLYSIS WITH β-GLUCURONIDASE*

Abstract

Extraction with chloroform and partial purification with NaOH and sodium sulfate followed by chromatographic separation on the Florisil column gave fractions with no significant contamination by nonsteroidal components. The phenylhydrazine-sulfuric acid reaction was used for the detn. of the 17-hydroxycorticosteroid fraction and the Zimmermann reaction for the 17-ketosteroid fraction. This method appears to give a better separation and is more specific for the detn. of the 2 different fractions than other methods previously descr. Only part of the 17-ketosteroids, however, are freed by beta-glucuronidase.