Asymmetric Synthesis of Both Enantiomers of Fluoxetine via Microbiological Reduction of Ethyl Benzoylacetate

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)89866-5

Microbiological reduction of ethyl benzoylacetate by bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Beauveria sulfurescens or Geotrichum candidum afforded ethyl (S)-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionate in high optical yield.This enantiomerically pure alcohol was converted into both enantiomers of fluoxetine (7).The product resulting from the bakers' yeast reduction had ee values (87-93percent) lower than the 100percent value erroneously attributed in earlier studies.Key Words: Fluoxetine; asymmetric synthesis; bioreduction; bakers' yeast; Beauveria sulfurescens; Geotrichum candidum.