Mexican yams..

[variation]

One person who was keenly aware of plant saponins was Russell Marker, a maverick biochemist. In 1939 he published a study on sarsasapogenin, the saponin in Smilax used to make sarsaparilla. The next year he published studies on diosgenin, a saponin isolated from a Mexican yam species of the genus Dioscorea. From diosgenin he was able to synthesize the human hormone testosterone in eight steps and progesterone in just five steps...



so If It is possible to synthesize testosterone from Mexican Yams... does anyone know how to do this? are there any other sources like this?

 

[UpstateMuscle]

Why Bother

You can synthesize test from Dehydroepiandrosterone in just 4 steps. Just look in any really old (1960s or earlier pharmaceutical manual). Dhea is reasily available. Back in the old days though they called it Dehydroisoandrosterone. This is of course only a hypothetical suggestion. I assume you are just trying to draw out the synthesis on paper for an advanced organic chemistry class and not breaking the law, of course.