Biotransformation of (+)- and (-)-camphorquinones by plant cultured cells.

Biotransformation of (+)- and (-)-camphorquinones with suspension plant cultured cells of Nicotiana tabacum and Catharanthus roseus was investigated. It was found that the plant cultured cells of N. tabacum and C. roseus reduce stereoselectively the carbonyl group of (+)- and (-)-camphorquinones to the corresponding alpha-keto alcohols.