Biocatalytic reduction of (+)-carvone and (−)-carvone in submerged cultures of the fungi Penicillium citrinum and Fusarium oxysporium

Abstract

Biocatalytic transformation represents a green approach to the asymmetric hydrogenation of activated alkenes. This paper details catabolic events after the addition of (−)-carvone or (+)-carvone to submerged cultures of Penicillium citrinum and Fusarium oxysporium. These microorganisms were shown to biotransform the isomers of carvone, leading to the formation of a diastereoisomeric excess of derivatives of carvone and reduced carveols, and also to isomerize both dihydrocarvone, and their derivatives dihydrocarveols.

Keywords::

• biotransformation
• fungi
• carvone

Acknowledgment

The authors thank Doctor Norberto Peporine of FCFLRP-USP by the analysis of GC-MS.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

The authors thank CAPES and CNPq for financial support.