Apples as enantiospecific bioreagents in the hydrolysis of racemic esters and oxygenation of alcohols obtained during the process

Abstract

Biotransformation carried out by apples (Malus silvestris) resulted in enantiospecific hydrolysis of racemic acetates, the derivatives of secondary aromatic-aliphatic or terpenic alcohols. The alcohols are oxygenated to ketones (reversible reaction). The differences in the rate of the hydrolysis of enantiomeric esters enable isolation of pure, unreacted R-acetates.

Keywords

• Malus silvestris
• fruit pulp
• biotransformation
• enantiospecific hydrolysis of esters
• enantio-specific oxidation of alcohols
• enantiospecific reduction of ketones