BIOCHEMICAL SEPARATION OF LLMENTHOL

摘要

PURPOSE:To hydrolyze an l-menthol ester in dl-menthol ester of an organic carboxylic acid or its mixture with a dl-menthol isomer ester of an organic carboxylic acid selectively, by using an esterase which is an enzyme produced by a basidiomycete. CONSTITUTION:A culture or mycelium of an esterase-producing basidiomycete belonging to the genus Gloeophyllum or Schizophyllum or an esterase separated therefrom is reacted with a dl-menthol ester of a 2-18C organic carboxylic acid or its mixture with a dl-menthol isomer ester of an organic carboxylic acid to hydrolyze only the l-menthol ester of the organic carboxylic acid and to separate the freed l-menthol. Preferably, the reaction is carried out at 10-55 deg.C and pH3.0-9.0.