Searching for local biocatalysts: bioreduction of aldehydes using plant roots of the Province of Córdoba, (Argentina).

MARIO S.SALVANO; JUAN J. CANTERO;; ANA M. VAZQUEZ; STELLA M. FORMICA; MARIO L. AIMAR

JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR CATALYSIS B-ENZYMATIC

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2011

1381-1177

A screening for the capacity of wild plants growing in the Province ofCórdoba to bioreduce benzaldehyde was carried out. From this study, thirteen speciesshowed quantitative reduction yields to benzyl alcohol, with C. maculatum showing thebest reduction efficiency. This plant was also tested against different substitutedbenzaldehydes, and quantitative yields of substituted benzylic alcohols were obtained,except for Vanillin, where only 27% of vanillic alcohol was formed (main product: 2-methoxyphenol at a 73% yield). A scaling study of the reaction using C. maculatum andbenzaldehyde was carried out, and it was observed that high substrate-catalystrelationships reduced the efficiency of the reaction due to side reactions of oxidation.The bioreduction method presented here permits substituted benzylic alcohols to beobtained using an environmentally friendly methodology, with excellent yields producedon a laboratory scale