Microbial production of Propionic and Succinic acid from Sorbitol using Propionibacterium acidipropionici.

Three sequential fermentative batches were carried out with cell recycle in four simultaneously operating bioreactors maintained at pH 6.5, 30°C, and 100 rpm. P. acidipropionici ATCC 4875 was able to produce propionic and succinic acid from sorbitol. The concentration of propionic acid decreased slightly from 39.5 ± 5.2 g L(-1) to 34.4 ± 1.9 g L(-1), and that of succinic acid increased significantly from 6.1 ± 2.1 g L(-1) to 14.8 ± 0.9 g L(-1) through the sequential batches. In addition, a small amount of acetic acid was produced that decreased from 3.3 ± 0.4 g L(-1) to 2.0 ± 0.3 g L(-1) through the batches. The major yield for propionic acid was 0.613 g g(-1) in the first batch and succinic acid it was 0.212 g g(-1) in the third batch. The minor yield of acetic acid was 0.029 g g(-1), in the second and third batches.

Effect of immobilized cells in calcium alginate beads in alcoholic fermentation.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells were immobilized in calcium alginate and chitosan-covered calcium alginate beads and studied in the fermentation of glucose and sucrose for ethanol production. The batch fermentations were carried out in an orbital shaker and assessed by monitoring the concentration of substrate and product with HPLC. Cell immobilization in calcium alginate beads and chitosan-covered calcium alginate beads allowed reuse of the beads in eight sequential fermentation cycles of 10 h each. The final concentration of ethanol using free cells was 40 g L-1 and the yields using glucose and sucrose as carbon sources were 78% and 74.3%, respectively. For immobilized cells in calcium alginate beads, the final ethanol concentration from glucose was 32.9 ± 1.7 g L-1 with a 64.5 ± 3.4% yield, while the final ethanol concentration from sucrose was 33.5 ± 4.6 g L-1 with a 64.5 ± 8.6% yield. For immobilized cells in chitosan-covered calcium alginate beads, the ethanol concentration from glucose was 30.7 ± 1.4 g L-1 with a 61.1 ± 2.8% yield, while the final ethanol concentration from sucrose was 31.8 ± 6.9 g L-1 with a 62.1 ± 12.8% yield. The immobilized cells allowed eight 10 h sequential reuse cycles to be carried out with stable final ethanol concentrations. In addition, there was no need to use antibiotics and no contamination was observed. After the eighth cycle, there was a significant rupture of the beads making them inappropriate for reuse.

Ethyl (2E)-2-(2H-1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl-methyl-idene)-4-chloro-3-oxobutano-ate.

In the title compound, C(14)H(13)ClO(5), the five-membered ring is in an envelope conformation with the methyl-ene C-atom being the flap. The conformation about the C=C double bond [1.341 (2) Å] is E. The chloro-propan-2-one residue is approximately orthogonal to the remaining mol-ecule [dihedral angle = 88.03 (6)°]. In the crystal, the mol-ecules associate via C-H⋯O inter-actions, involving both carbonyl-O atoms, giving rise to an undulating two-dimensional array in the ac plane.

Chiral Pharmaceutical Intermediaries Obtained by Reduction of 2-Halo-1-(4-substituted phenyl)-ethanones Mediated by Geotrichum candidum CCT 1205 and Rhodotorula glutinis CCT 2182.

Enantioselective reductions of p-R(1)-C(6)H(4)C(O)CH(2)R(2) (R(1) = Cl, Br, CH(3), OCH(3), NO(2) and R(2) = Br, Cl) mediated by Geotrichum candidum CCT 1205 and Rhodotorula glutinis CCT 2182 afforded the corresponding halohydrins with complementary R and S configurations, respectively, in excellent yield and enantiomeric excesses. The obtained (R)- or (S)-halohydrins are important building blocks in chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of alpha-hydroxy-beta-methyl-gamma-hydroxy esters: role of the keto-enol equilibrium to control the stereoselective hydrogenation in a key step.

Alpha-hydroxy-beta-methyl-gamma-hydroxy esters not only are found in many natural products and potent drugs but also are useful intermediates in organic synthesis due to their highly functionalized skeleton that can be further manipulated and applied in the synthesis of many compounds with remarkable biological activities. This work was based on a chemoenzymatic approach to obtain these molecules with three contiguous stereogenic centers in a highly enantio- and diastereoselective way. Two distinct linear routes were proposed in which the key steps in both routes consisted of initial stereocontrolled ketoester bioreduction followed by unsaturated carbonyl bioreduction or reduction with Pd-C. Other key reactions in the synthesis include a Wasserman protocol for chain homologation and a Mannich-type olefination with maintenance of enantiomeric excess for all intermediates during the sequence. Whereas route A gave exclusively the skeleton with 3R,4R,5S configuration (99% ee and 11.5% global yield after 7 steps), route B gave the skeleton with 3R,4R,5S and 3R,4S,5R configurations (dr 1:12, 98% ee and 20% global yield after 5 steps).

Probing the mechanism of direct Mannich-type alpha-methylenation of ketoesters via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Reactions promoting direct Mannich-type alpha-methylenation of alpha, beta and gamma-ketoesters have been monitored via electrospray ionization mass and tandem mass spectrometric experiments. Key intermediates of the catalytical cycle of this synthetically useful reaction have been intercepted and characterized. The mechanistic information provided by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) guided the optimization of reaction conditions, allowing alpha-methyleneketoesters to be prepared in high yields (80-95%) and in high-enough purity for immediate further manipulation.

On-line monitoring of bioreductions via membrane introduction mass spectrometry.

Real-time and on-line continuous monitoring of reactants, intermediates, and final products for dicarbonyl compound bioreduction in a continuous plug flow reactor packed with baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) whole cells immobilized on calcium alginate beads was performed by membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS) via selective ion monitoring.

Diastereoselective synthesis of cularine alkaloids via enium ions and an easy entry to isoquinolines by aza-Wittig electrocyclic ring closure.

In preliminary communications, we reported the diastereoselective synthesis of cularine and sarcocapnine via the intramolecular ring closure of nitrenium and oxenium ions, a new highly diastereoselective reductive methylation with (+)-8-phenylmenthyl chloroacetate followed by reduction with sodium borohydride, and a facile entry to the isoquinoline precursors by aza-Wittig electrocyclic ring closure. We now report the full details of the syntheses of (+)-O-demethylcularine, (+)-cularine, (+)-sarcocapnidine, (+)-sarcocapnine, and (+)-crassifoline and describe different methods of synthesis of their precursors.