*Article* **7***α* **and 7***β* **Hydroxylation of Dehydroepiandrosterone by** *Gibberella sp.* **and** *Absidia Coerulea* **Biotransformation**

**Ming Song <sup>1</sup> , Ruicheng Fu <sup>2</sup> , Sulan Cai <sup>1</sup> , Xuliang Jiang <sup>3</sup> , Fuju Wang <sup>4</sup> , Weizhuo Xu 2,\* and Wei Xu 2,\***

<sup>1</sup> School of Functional Food and Wine, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China

<sup>2</sup> School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceuticals, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University,


**Abstract:** The hydroxylation of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to 7α -hydroxy-5-androstene-17 one (7α-OH-DHEA) and 7β-hydroxy-5-androstene-17-one (7β-OH-DHEA) by *Gibberella sp.* CICC 2498 and *Absidia coerulea* CICC 41050 was investigated. The media ingredients were optimized. Single factors such as the DHEA concentration, culture time, medium volume, and inoculum rate were individually investigated to generate optimum biotransformation conditions. An orthogonal optimization process using a four-factor, three- level L<sup>9</sup> (3<sup>3</sup> ) experiment was designed and performed. Finally, the maximum production of 7β-OH-DHEA from DHEA biotransformation by *Absidia coerulea* is 69.61%. This strategy would provide a possible way to enhance the 7β-OH-DHEA yield in the pharmaceutical industry.

**Keywords:** DHEA; biotransformation; C7-hydroxylation; *Gibberella sp.*; *Absidia coerulea*
