Recent developments in the fungal transformation of steroids

Steroids constitute a vital part of the active ingredients in pharmaceuticals and intermediates used to produce medicines, and their application in chemical and agrochemical fields is also valued. The complex stereochemistry of steroids requires attention to regio- and stereoselectivity of the reaction during preparation, and therefore, biocatalytic methods are appropriate for their production. This work reviews the recent application of fungi for the transformation of different steroid substrates, new biotransformation techniques, recently characterized reactions, and practical aspects, covering the period from 1990 to 2014. The future prospects of fungal biotechnology and biotransformation in the biopharmaceutical industry are also considered.