Sorbitol → L-enantiomer

Participants

Reaction Steps

L-sorbose is an important intermediate for the synthesis of L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) by the Reichstein method (see FIG. 1). When D-sorbitol is chemically oxidized, approximately a half of the product becomes D-sorbose, whereas when D-sorbitol is brought into contact with a microorganism having an SLDH activity, only an L-enantiomer is obtained in a yield of about 95%. Therefore, a fermentation method has been conventionally used for converting D-sorbitol to L-sorbose.

Provenance & Evidence