PROCESS FOR PRODUCING OPTICALLY ACTIVE 4-BENZYLOXY-3-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID ESTERS

摘要

A convenient and effective process for industrially producing optically active 4-benzyloxy-3-hydroxybutyric acid esters which are useful as intermediates of drugs, etc. A 4-benzyloxyacetoacetic acid ester is treated with a culture of a microorganism capable of asymmetrically reducing 4-benzyloxyacetoacetic acid esters or microbial cells separated from this culture, which have been optionally treated, and the thus formed optically active 4-benzyloxy-3-hydroxybutyric acid ester is collected.