Preparation of homochiral chroman-4-ols and thiochroman-4-ols by microbial biotransformation

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0957-4166(00)82112-6

Reduction of the carbonyl groups of chromanone and thiochromanone by Mortierella isabellina ATCC 42613 proceeds to give the (S) alcohols in high yield and enantiomeric excess. Benzylic hydroxylation of chroman by this fungus provides (R)-chroman-4-ol, and the (R) enantiomer of thiochroman-4-ol is obtained by bioconversion of thiochromanone or (±)-thiochroman-4-ol by Helminthosporium species NRRL 4671.