Asymmetric reduction of aromatic and heteroaromatic ketones with lactobacillus kefiri p2 biocatalyst

In recent years, studies have increased so as to obtain chiral alcohol of enantiomeric purity in various fields of industry. The chiral alcohols obtained by asymmetric reduction of ketones are widely used in the synthesis of many substances, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. In this study, three different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were evaluated for their bioreduction potential using acetophenone as a model substrate. Among these strains, Lactobacillus kefiri P2 strain was determined as the best asymmetric reduction biocatalyst. Reaction conditions such as pH, temperature, reaction time and stirring speed were systematically optimized using Lactobacillus kefiri P2 strain and model substrate acetophenone. Under these optimized reaction conditions, secondary chiral alcohols were obtained with results up to 99% enantiomeric excess by bioreduction of various prochiral ketones. The effects of substrates on selectivity were electronically and sterically evaluated. In this study, it has been shown that Lactobacillus kefiri P2 biocatalyst is an effective catalyst for asymmetric reduction and that chiral secondary alcohols which are important for the pharmaceutical industry have been successfully obtained. This method provides an environmentally method for the synthesis of chiral secondary alcohols and an alternative approach to chemical catalysts.