Process for producing optically active alpha -hydroxycarboxylic acid having phenyl group

摘要

A biological process for predominantly producing an optically active alpha -hydroxycarboxylic acid having a phenyl group directly from a racemic alpha -hydroxynitrile or a mixture of an aldehyde corresponding to the nitrile and prussic acid as a substrate is disclosed, comprising reacting a microorganism belonging to the genus Rhodococcus, Alcaligenes, Brevibacterium or Pseudomonas with the substrate in a neutral to basic aqueous medium. A desired optically active alpha -hydroxycarboxylic acid having a phenyl group can be obtained quantitatively at a high optical purity.