ABSTRACT
Steroids constitute a particular class of lipids characterized by a typical tetracyclic skeleton, composed of one five-member ring and three fused six-member rings. Steroids are widely used as therapeutic agents .The present work is on corticosteroid. The corticosteroid used in present research work was 11-β,17-α,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3, 20-dione,21-O-succinate (Hydrocortisone sodium succinate). An attempt was made to cleave the side chain of the precursor corticosteroid by actively growing culture of Pseudomonas putida MTCC 1259. Growing cells of Pseudomonas putida MTCC 1259 were found to effectively convert hydrocortisone succinate in nutrient broth, at pH 7.5, temperature 37 °C when 0.25 to 0.50 mg l-1 substrate was added after 24 hr of inoculation. Higher substrate concentration was found to be inhibitory for the bioconversion of the precursor steroid.