Process for enzymatically producing either optically active n-substituted β-amino acids or esters thereof or optically active n-substituted 2-homopipecolic acids or esters thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a process which comprises selectively hydrolyzing one enantiomer of racemic mixtures of an N-substituted β-amino acid alkyl ester or N-substituted 2-homopipecolic acid ester represented by the formula (I): and simultaneously to obtain an unreacted optically active ((S) or (R))—N-substituted β-amino acid alkyl ester or unreacted optically active ((S) or (R))—N-substituted 2-homopipecolic acid ester represented by the formula (III): which has a reverse steric absolute configuration to that of the compound represented by the formula (II).