Marine Biotechnology 2013-02-01

Biotransformation of phenylacetonitrile to 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid by marine fungi.

Julieta Rangel de Oliveira, Carolina Megumi Mizuno, Mirna Helena Regali Seleghim, Darci Consolação Diniz Javaroti, Maria Olímpia Oliveira Rezende, Maria Diva Landgraf, Lara Durães Sette, André Luiz Meleiro Porto

Index: Mar. Biotechnol. 15(1) , 97-103, (2013)

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Abstract

Marine fungi belonging to the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Bionectria catalyzed the biotransformation of phenylacetonitrile to 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid. Eight marine fungi, selected and cultured with phenylacetonitrile in liquid mineral medium, catalyzed it quantitative biotransformation to 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid. In this study, the nitrile group was firstly hydrolysed, and then, the aromatic ring was hydroxylated, producing 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid with 51 % yield isolated. In addition, the 4-fluorophenylacetonitrile was exclusively biotransformed to 4-fluorophenylacetic acid by Aspergillus sydowii Ce19 (yield = 51 %). The enzymatic biotransformation of nitriles is not trivial, and here, we describe an efficient method for production of phenylacetic acids in mild conditions.