Production of enantiomerically enriched chiral carbinols using Weissella paramesenteroides as a novel whole cell biocatalyst

In this study, four bacterial strains were tested for their ability to reduce acetophenones to its corresponding alcohol. Among these strains Weissella paramesenteroides N7 was found to be the most successful biocatalyst to reduce the ketones to the corresponding alcohols. The reaction conditions were systematically optimized for W. paramesenteroides N7 that resulted in high enantioselectivity and conversion rates for the bioreduction. The scale-up asymmetric reduction of 1-(4-methoxyphenyl) propan-1-one (1r) by W. paramesenteroides N7 gave (R)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl) propan-1-ol (2r) with 94% yield and >99% enantiomeric excess. This is the first report showing the synthesis of (R)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl) propan-1-ol (2r) in enantiopure form using a biocatalyst on a gram scale. The whole cell catalyzed the reductions of ketone substrates on the preparative scale, demonstrating that W. paramesenteroides N7 would be a valuable biocatalyst for the preparation of chiral aromatic alcohols of pharmaceutical interest as a promising and alternative green approach.