Enzymatic Reduction of Ketones to Optically Active Secondary Alcohols

A number of unsymmetrical ketones such as ethyl acetoacetate, 4-hydroxy acetophenone, 4-methylacetophenone, 4-acetylpyridine and pyruvic acid were reduced to the corresponding optically active secondary alcohols. The reduction reaction was monitored by Uv-Vis spectrophotometer and a complete conversion was observed in all cases within 24 to 48 h. The procedure was optimized in order to accelerate the reduction process and reduce the reaction time. This was achieved by increasing the temperature to 40°C.