title: Asymmetric reduction of 3-aryl-3-keto esters using Rhizopus species.
abstract: Ethyl 3-aryl-3-oxopropanoates (aryl: phenyl, 2-fluorophenyl, 3-nitrophenyl, and 4-nitrophenyl) were reduced enantioselectively to the corresponding (S)-alcohols by the fungus Rhizopus arrhizus and other Rhizopus sp. The best results were generally obtained with Rhizopus arrhizus (wild type) and Rhizopus nivius NCIM 958 with 6h incubation. A longer incubation period led to ester hydrolysis followed by decarboxylation and microbial reduction for all the substrates especially the 3-nitrophenyl ester.
authors.affiliation: Bio-Organic Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085, India.
authors.forename: Neeta A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Salvi
authors.forename: Subrata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001711:Biotransformation; D004952:Esters / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D007659:Ketones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011422:Propionates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012233:Rhizopus / Q000378:metabolism*; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D004952:Esters; D007659:Ketones; D011422:Propionates