Microbial Reduction of 1, 2-Diketones to Optically Active α-Hydroxyketones

Abstract

The microorganisms that reduce benzil to optically active benzoin were screened. Xanthomonas oryzae IAM 1657 was selected as the best strain, which resulted in the formation of (R)-(-)-benzoin. This biochemical reduction was applied to other 1, 2- and 1, 3-diketones to find that only 1, 2-diarylethanediones were reduced smoothly to afford the corresponding ketols.