Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vol.68, No.3, 311-315, 2005
Biotransformation of 6,7-epoxygeraniol by fungi
The biotransformation of 6,7-epoxygeraniol by resting cells of selected fungi was investigated. The main product obtained from the transformation in Rhodotorula glutinis and R. marina cultures was 6,7-epoxynerol (5-48% of chloroform extracts), whereas Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida parapsilosis and C. kefyr reduced this substrate to 6,7-epoxycitronellol (30-33% of chloroform extracts). Cultures of Yarrowia lipolytica, Botrytis cinerea and S. cerevisiae promoted the cyclisation of 6,7-epoxygeraniol to 2-methyl-2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-5-(2-hydroxyprop-2-yl)tetrahydrofuran (11-99% of chloroform extracts). The biotransformation of 6,7-epoxynerol was also investigated. However, none of the tested micro-organisms converted this compound.