An efficient method for conversion of allitol to D-psicose was achieved by a resting cell reaction of Bacillus pallidus Y25 for the first time. Notably, it was possible to produce D-allose and D-altrose from allitol directly via D-psicose by prolonging the reaction time. This method was applied for the preparation of D-psicose using the extract of Itea virginica as a starting material in this study. D-Psicose which is the absolutely key precursor for the production of other six carbon sugars could be obtained as the sole product at high yield.
