PROCESS FOR PRODUCING N-FORMYLAMINO ACID AND UTILIZATION THEREOF

摘要

Provided is a process for producing an N- formylamino acid important as various synthetic intermediates at good efficiency and industrially easily by reacting an amino acid such as aspartic acid or a neutral amino acid with formamide and/or methyl formate in the presence of a base, or by reacting a salt of the amino acid with formamide and/or methyl formate. Further provided is a process for producing, at good efficiency and industrially easily, N-formyl- alpha -L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester as a precursor of a sweetener aspartame, and aspartame by further subjecting the ester to deformylation, in which in an enzyme condensation reaction of N-formyl-L-aspartic acid and/or its salt with L- and/or DL-phenylalanine methyl ester, an amount of water present in the reaction system is specified relative to the total weight amount of the reaction system. It is also possible to provide a process for producing high-purity N-formyl- alpha -L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester by subjecting a phenylalanine methyl ester adduct of N-formyl- alpha -L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester formed to pH adjustment.