Seventy-nine strains of endophytic fungi isolated from the healthy leaves, twigs and fruits of Illicium verum were screened for the asymmetric reduction activities to acetophenone. Strain BYEF07, which showed relatively high reduction activities, has been classified as Neofusicoccum parvum, and the main product was confirmed to be (R)-(+)-1-phenylethanol by GC MS and chiral HPLC methods. The bio-reduction conditions of acetophenone by cells of N. parvum BYEF07 were investigated in detail. Under the conditions of 1.8 g/L of acetophenone, 100 g/L of microorganism cells and 10 g/L of glucose in 40 mL Na2HPO4-KH2PO4 buffer solution at pH7.5, 30 degrees C and 150 rpm, after 48 h reaction, the production yield of 1-phenylethanol and enantiomeric excess value of (R)-(+)-1-phenylethanol were 78% and 96%, respectively. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.