Isolation of microbe for asymmetric reduction of prochiral aromatic ketone and its reaction characters

Abstract

The favorable microbes for the asymmetric reduction of prochiral aromatic ketones was isolated from soil using acetophenone as the sole carbon source, when the asymmetric reduction of acetophenone (ACP) to chiral α-phenethyl alcohol (PEA) was chosen as the model reaction. Two microbe strains with excellent catalytic activity were obtained. They were Geotrichum candidum and Pichia pastoris identified by bacteria identification. The product of the asymmetric reduction of ACP catalyzed by Pichia pastoris was mainly R-PEA and that by Geotrichum candidum was mainly S-PEA. The yield and enantiomeric excesses (e.e.) could respectively reach 75% and 90% for Pichia pastoris, and 80% and 70% for Geotrichum candidum, much higher than those catalyzed by baker’s yeast.