Methasterone, also known as methyldrostanolone and known by the nickname Superdrol, is a synthetic and orally active anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) which was never marketed for medical use. It was brought to the black market, instead, in a clandestine fashion as a "designer steroid."
It was in late 2005 that the reclassification of methasterone as AAS (as well as that of four other designer steroids) was brought to public awareness via an article published in the Washington Post. Don Catlin of the UCLA Olympic Laboratory, who conducted the studies, noted methasterone's similarity to drostanolone. A warning by the FDA was issued soon after to the general public as well as to the distributor, Designer Supplements LLC, for the marketing of this compound. Methasterone was subsequently added to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of prohibited substances in sport. Despite all of this, methasterone has resurfaced within the supplement industry on several occasions since its banning by WADA.
Methasterone is an anabolic androgenic steroid. Methasterone is one of the anabolic steroids screened by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
ChEBI: 17beta-Hydroxy-2alpha,17-dimethyl-5alpha-androstan-3-one is a 3-oxo-5alpha-steroid.
Methasterone is hepatotoxic (toxic to the liver). Several cases of liver damage due to the use of methasterone have been cited in the medical literature.
Methasterone is synthesized by Catalytic Oxymetholone in ethanol with the presence palladium on charcoal.
Procedure: 2.05 g Oxymetholone was dissolved in 160 ml ethanol at room temperature. This solution was
hydrogenated in a pressure vessel (Parr reactor) with 2.50 g palladium on charcoal (5%) at 3
bar and room temperature for 36 h. The reaction seemed to be completed, since there is no
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starting material remaining. The formation of two major byproducts can be observed via TLC
(Seebach-staining). The mixture was filtered through a short pad of silica and the corresponding
ethanol solution was evaporated to yield 1.90 g of a colorless solid. The crude product
was purified by column chromatography on silica gel by using hexane-ethyl acetate (1:1), to
afford 1.35 g of Methasterone as a colorless solid (68%).
