本世纪二十年代前后,人们就开始了甾体激素分离及其生理活性的研究。由于甾体激素及某些衍生物的明显生理活性及医疗效用,甾体激素化学及工业生产研究得到了迅速发展。开始时曾经利用动、植物甾固醇为原料制备某些激素,但工业路线较长、收率较低。现在较广泛应用的是天然的皂甙元,如薯芋科植物中提取的薯芋皂甙元、剑麻植物中的铁柯皂甙元及蕃麻 Before the twenties of this century, people began the study of steroid hormone separation and its physiological activity. Due to the obvious physiological activity and medical utility of steroid hormones and certain derivatives, the research on steroid hormone chemistry and industrial production has been rapidly developed. The beginning of the use of animal and plant steroids as raw materials for the preparation of certain hormones, but longer industrial routes, lower yields. Now more widely used is the natural sapogenin, such as the genus Potato root extract saponins agluconde, sisal plants in the coke root saponins and Cannabis