Ube Industries, Inc.

Tokio Ohshima

Tomio Kimura

Mamoru Nakai

Tetsuo Omata

Noritada Iwamoto

Biochemical optical resolution of DL-tryptophans in which DL-tryptophan amides are interacted with the culture products, or their treated products, of a microorganism capable of producing amidase is described. L-Tryptophan amides in racemic DL-tryptophan amides are asymmetrically hydrolyzed to form optically active L-tryptophans at a high yield and almost all D-tryptophan amides remain without being subjected to hydrolysis. The resultant D-tryptophan amides are readily hydrolyzed, after separating L-tryptophans, to form optically active D-tryptophans at a high yield.

Process for preparing optically active tryptophans

Biochemical optical resolution of DL-tryptophanes in which DL-tryptophane amides are interacted with the culture products, or their treated products, of a microorganism capable of producing amidase is described. L-tryptophane amides in racemic DL-tryptophane amides are asymmetrically hydrolyzed to form optically active L-tryptophanes at a high yield and almost all D-tryptophane amides remain without being subjected to hydrolysis. The resultant D-tryptophane amides are readily hydrolyzed, after separating L-tryptophanes, to form optically active D-tryptophanes at a high yield.

Growing community of inventors

Yamaguchi, Japan

Tokio Ohshima