Asymmetric reduction of ketones via whole cell bioconversions and transfer hydrogenation: complementary approaches

Synthesis of Enantiomerically Enriched Drug Precursors by Lactobacillus paracasei BD87E6 as a Biocatalyst

Global sales of single enantiomeric drug products are growing at an alarming rate every year. A total of 7 bacterial strains were screened for their ability to reduce acetophenones to its corresponding alcohol. Among these strains Lactobacillus paracasei BD87E6 was found to be the most successful biocatalyst to reduce the ketones to the corresponding alcohols. The reaction conditions were systematically optimized for the reducing agent Lactobacillus paracasei BD87E6, which showed high enantioselectivity and conversion for the bioreduction. The preparative scale asymmetric reduction of 3-methoxyacetophenone (1h) by Lactobacillus paracasei BD87E6 gave (R)-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)ethanol (2h) with 92% yield and 99% enantiomeric excess. Compound 2h could be used for the synthesis of (S)-rivastigmine which has a great potential for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This study demonstrates that Lactobacillus paracasei BD87E6 can be used as a biocatalyst to obtain chiral carbinol with excellent yield and selectivity. The whole cell catalyzed the reductions of ketone substrates on the preparative scale, demonstrating that Lactobacillus paracasei BD87E6 would be a valuable biocatalyst for the preparation of chiral aromatic alcohols of pharmaceutical interest.

Recent trends in organocatalyzed asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones

This review depicts the recent practices followed in organocatalyzed asymmetric reduction of prochiral ketones, highlighting the main organocatalysts used for the past seven years.

Asymmetric reduction of ketones by biocatalysis using clementine mandarin (Citrus reticulata) fruit grown in Annaba or by ruthenium catalysis for access to both enantiomers

Biocatalytic reduction of prochiral ketones using freshly ripened clementine mandarin (Citrus reticulata) in aqueous medium is reported. High enantioselectivities were observed, especially for the bioreduction of indanone , tetralone , and thiochromanone with respectively 95%, 99%, and 86% enantiomeric excess (ee). Enantioselective bio- and metal-catalyzed reactions were compared. Chiral ruthenium catalysts afforded good asymmetric inductions (>75% ee) in most cases, enantiomeric excesses depending on the nature of substrate and ligand. N-aminoindanol prolinamide was revealed as the best ligand for most ketones. Interestingly, for several substrates both enantiomers could be obtained using either Citrus reticulata or ruthenium complex.

Enantioselective dynamic process reduction of α- and β-tetralone and stereoinversion of resulting alcohols in a selected strain culture

α-Tetralone and β-tetralone were subjected to biotransformation by 14 fungal strains. Enantiomeric purity of the products depended on the reaction time. 3-Day transformation of α-tetralone in Absidia cylindrospora culture gave S-(+)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naftol of 92 % ee, whereas longer biotransformation time resulted in decrease of ee value. 3-Day transformation of β-tetralone by the same strain gave predominantly S-(−)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2-naftol, whereas after 9 days of the reaction, the R-enantiomer with 85 % ee was isolated. Transformation of β-tetralone by Chaetomium sp. KCh 6651 gave pure (S)-(−)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2-naftol in high yield at the concentration of 1 g/l. In this process, a non-selective carbonyl reduction was observed, followed by a selective oxidation of the R-alcohol.

The use of a [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction for the preparation of a series of ‘tethered’ Ru(ii)–diamine and aminoalcohol complexes

A series of catalysts have been prepared for use in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones. The complexes were prepared using a [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction at a key step in the reaction sequence. This provides a means for the synthesis of catalysts with modifications at specific sites.

The “Reverse-Tethered” Ruthenium (II) Catalyst for Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation: Further Applications

The attachment of a tethering group from the basic nitrogen atom to the arene ligand of a ruthenium(II) catalyst greatly improves its ability to catalyze asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) reactions. In this paper, we describe further applications of this versatile system to an extended substrate range.

Asymmetric reduction of alpha, beta-unsaturated ketone to (R) allylic alcohol by Candida chilensis

A pilot scale whole cell process was developed for the enantioselective 1,2-reduction of prochiral alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone to (R) allylic alcohol using Candida chilensis. Initial development showed high enantiomeric excess (EE > 95%) but low product yield (10%). Process development, using a combination of statistically designed screening and optimization experiments, improved the desired alcohol yield to 90%. The fermentation growth stage, particularly medium composition and growth pH, had a significant impact on the bioconversion while process characterization identified diverse challenges including the presence of multiple enzymes, substrate/product toxicity, and biphasic cellular morphology. Manipulating the fermentation media allowed control of the whole cell morphology to a predominantly unicellular broth, away from the viscous pseudohyphae, which were detrimental to the bioconversion. The activity of a competing enzyme, which produced the undesired saturated ketone and (R) saturated alcohol, was minimized to < or =5% by controlling the reaction pH, temperature, substrate concentration, and biomass level. Despite the toxicity effects limiting the volumetric productivity, a reproducible and scaleable process was demonstrated at pilot scale with high enantioselectivity (EE > 95%) and overall yield greater than 80%. This was the preferred route compared to a partially purified process using ultra centrifugation, which led to improved volumetric productivity but reduced yield (g/day). The whole cell approach proved to be a valuable alternative to chemical reduction routes, as an intermediate step for the asymmetric synthesis of an integrin receptor antagonist for the inhibition of bone resorption and treatment of osteoporosis.

Synthesis of Optically Pure 1,2-Diaryl- and 1,2-Alkylaryl-1,2-amino Sulfides

[reaction: see text] The reactions of the lithium (S)-alpha-(methylthio)-2-(p-toluenesulfinyl)benzyl carbanion with (S)-N-p-tolylsulfinyl aldimines evolve in a completely stereoselective manner providing a one-step synthesis of enantiomerically pure anti-1,2-disubstituted 1,2-amino sulfide derivatives.

“Tethered” Ru(II) Catalysts for Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones

Stereochemically well-defined ruthenium(II) catalysts have been applied to the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of a series of ketones. In one case, statistical experimental design was employed to optimize the enantiomeric excess of the product. In the case of the TsDPEN-based systems, the replacement of trans-1,2-diphenyl substitution with cis-, or deletion of one of the phenyl groups, results in significant deterioration of the enantiomeric excess. A new method is described for the synthesis of tethered amino alcohol-containing catalysts.

Stereoselective biosynthesis of chloroarylpropane diols by the basidiomyceteBjerkandera adusta: exploring the roles of amino acids, pyruvate, glycerol and phenyl acetyl carbinol

Bjerkandera adusta produces many chlorometabolites including chlorinated anisyl metabolites (CAMs) and 1-arylpropane-1,2-diols (1, 2, 3, 4) as idiophasic metabolic products of L-phenylalanine. These diols are stereoselectively biosynthesized from a C7-unit (benzylic, from L-phenylalanine) and a C2-unit, of unknown origin, as predominantly erythro (1R,2S) enantiomers. Of the labeled amino acids tested as possible C2-units, at the 4-10 mM level, none were found to efficiently label the 2,3-propane carbons of the diols. However, glycine (2-13C), L-serine (2,3,3-d3) and L-methionine (methyl-d3) entered the biomethylation pathway. Neither pyruvate (2,3-13C2), acetate (1,2-13C2), acetaldehyde (d4) nor ethanol (ethyl-d5) labeled the 2,3-propane carbons of the diols at the 4-10 mM level. Pyruvate (2,3-13C2) and L-serine (2,3,3-d3) (which also entered the biomethylation pathway) did, however, effectively label the 2,3-propane carbons of the alpha-ketols and diols at the 40 mM level as evidenced by mass spectrometry. Glycerol (1,1,2,3,3-d5) also appeared to label one of the 2,3-propane carbons (ca. 5% as 2H2 in the C3 side chain) as suggested by mass spectrometric data and also entered the biomethylation pathway, likely via amino acid synthesis. Glycerol (through pyruvate), therefore, likely supplies C2 and C3 of the propane side chain with arylpropane diol biosynthesis. Incubation of B. adusta with synthetic [2-2H1, 2-18O]-glycerol showed that neither 2H nor 18O were incorporated in the alpha-ketols or diols. The oxygen atom on the C2 of the ketols/diols, therefore, does not appear to come from the oxygen atom on the C2 of glycerol. Glycerol, however, can readily form L-serine (which can then form pyruvate via PLP/serine dehydratase and involve transamination washing out the 18O label and providing the oxygen from water), and can then go on to label the C2-unit. Labeled alpha-ketol, phenyl acetyl carbinol (5) (PAC; ring-d(5), 2,3-13C2 propane) cultured with B. adusta leads to stereospecific reduction to the (1R,2S)-diol (6) (ring-d5 and 2,3-13C2); in all other metabolites produced, the 2,3-13C2) label is washed out. Incubation of the fungus with 4-fluorobenzaldehyde (13) produces a pooling of predominantly erythro (1R,2S) 1-(4'-fluorophenyl)-1,2-propane diol (18 as diacetate) (through the corresponding alpha-ketols 16, 17). Blocking the para-position with fluorine thus appears to prevent ring oxygenation and also chlorination, forcing the conclusion that para-ring oxygenation precedes meta-chlorination.

Stereoselective biosynthesis of chloroarylpropane diols by the basidiomycete Bjerkandera adusta

Previously we have shown that 1-arylpropane-1,2-diols are catabolic products of L-phenylalanine during idiophasic metabolism of B. adusta that are stereoselectively biosynthesized from a C(7)-unit (ring+benzylic carbon) and a C(2)-unit as predominantly erythro 1R, 2S enantiomers.In order to probe the mechanism of 1-arylpropane-1,2-diol formation, the products of the incubation of isotopically labelled aromatic aldehydes as substrates with Bjerkandera adusta (DAOM 215869) have been characterized. The aromatic aldehydes were benzaldehyde (ring D(5)) and 4-methoxy- and 4-hydroxybenzaldehydes (ring 13C(6)). These aldehydes were all stereoselectively incorporated into the corresponding 1-arylpropane-1,2-diols, including the chloro analogues, as well as into the corresponding alpha-ketols (phenyl acetyl carbinols (PAC's) and 2-hydroxy propiophenones (2-HPP's)) the presumed precursors of the diols. Benzoic acid (ring D(5)) was likewise incorporated into the diols, chlorodiols and alpha-ketols. These results lead us to conclude that the aromatic aldehydes benzaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 4-methoxybenzaldehyde are likely C(7)-unit precursors in the carboligation reaction(s) that leads to 1-arylpropane-1,2-diol biosynthesis. The metabolic role of the diols remains to be elucidated but they may be important intermediates in CAM (chlorinated anisyl metabolite) aldehyde-alcohol cycling and also act as substrates for the chlorination/hydroxylation enzymes yet to be identified in white rot fungi.

The use of enzymes in the chemical industry in Europe

Many European chemical industries are in a phase of reorganization resulting in a general opening towards life sciences. Traditional chemical markets are served increasingly with products derived from bioprocesses or hybrid chemical/biocatalytic processes. Biocatalytic steps are already being used to produce a wide range of products, including agricultural chemicals, organics, drugs and plastic materials, to name but a few. Apart from the rapidly growing number of commercialized bioprocesses, a partial survey of exploratory activities points to future applications of enzymes in the European chemical industry, which will bring new products and technologies and, in some cases, replace traditional syntheses.