Biosynthesis of (S)-1-(1-naphthyl) ethanol by microbial ketoreductase

(S)-1-(1-naphthyl) ethanol (SNE) is a chiral drug intermediate for the production of mevinic acid analog, a potent cholesterol agent. It acts as an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and is hence used in the synthesis of statins. Statins are lipid-lowering drugs used to lower cholesterol in the body. In our present study, we carried out whole-cell bioreduction of 1-Acetonaphthone to enantiopure SNE using selected microorganisms acquired by soil acclimation technique. The microorganism which exhibited higher bioreduction activity was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and it was identified as Pichia kudriavzevii by ITS primer sequencing. After optimizing the parameters, Pichia sp. produced SNE with good conversion (75%), yield (67%), and excellent enantiomeric excess (100%). The microbial enzyme showed higher activity at 24-h-old supernatant. The crude and partially purified enzyme exhibited a specific activity of 51.13 U/mL and 62.72 U/mL, respectively, with a 1.22 purification fold.