Habermehl and Haaf have investigated the biosynthesis of samandarin with in vivo and in vitro experiments. Samandarin is synthesized from cholesterol precursors in the liver, testes, or ovaries. They found that the enlargement of ring A occurs by nitrogen insertion from a glutamine residue. The degradation of the carbon chain and hydroxylation of ring D is shown through the intermediates in the scheme below.
