Process for preparing L-tartaric acid

摘要

A process for preparing L-tartaric acid, which comprises contacting a microorganism of the genus Nocardia having the ability to produce an enzyme which cleaves and hydrolyzes the epoxy ring of cis-epoxysuccinic acid, or an enzyme isolated therefrom, with cis-epoxysuccinic acid or its derivatives in an aqueous medium, and recovering the resulting L-tartaric acid.