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Zaidan Hojin Biseibutsu Kagaku Kenkyu Kai

Hokko Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

Tsuyoshi Tamamura

Tomio Takeuchi

Atsushi Takahashi

Tetsuya Mori

Yuichi Kita

Kenji Kanbe

Provided are novel processes for the efficient production of L-epi-2-inosose and epi-inositol which are useful either as various medicines or intermediates for the syntheses of various medicines. In the processes, inexpensive myo-inositol is used as a starting compound which is reacted with a gram-negative bacterium capable of converting myo-inositol into L-epi-2-inosose, and thereby producing L-epi-2-inosose by conversion of myo-inositol into L-epi-2-inosose. A biologically pure culture ofsp. AB 10215 strain is also provided which has a characteristic nature of being capable of converting myo-inositol into L-epi-2-inosose.

Process for producing L-epi-2-inosose and novel process for producing epi-inositol using microorganisms

Provided are novel processes for the efficient production of L-epi-2-inosose and epi-inositol which are useful either as various medicines or intermediates for the syntheses of various medicines. In the processes, there is used inexpensive myo-inositol as a starting compound. That is, there is now developed a new process which comprises reacting myo-inositol with a gram-negative bacterium capable of converting myo-inositol into L-epi-2-inosose, and thereby producing L-epi-2-inosose by conversion of myo-inositol into L-epi-2-inosose. Further, a novel process is provided, which comprises reacting the so produced L-epi-2-inosose with a reducing agent made of an alkali metal boron hydride or any other alkali metal hydride in an aqueous reaction medium, to produce epi-inositol and myo-inositol, and then isolating epi-inositol from the resulting reaction product composed of the epi-inositol and myo-inositol.

Process for producing L-epi-2-inosose and novel process for producing epi-inositol

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Yamato, Japan

Tsuyoshi Tamamura