Asymmetric reduction of acetophenone analogues by Alternaria alternata using ram horn peptone

Alternaria alternata EBK-4 fungus isolated from a plant sample was evaluated for the asymmetric reduction of acetophenone analogues. In a previous study, this isolate was used for the reduction of acetophenone to 1-phenylethanol in excellent enantiomeric excess. The substituted acetophenones were converted to the corresponding optically active alcohol by A. alternata EBK-4 under optimized conditions in up to >99% enantiomeric excess (ee). This is the first report on the enantiomeric reduction of acetophenone analogues by A. alternata using ram horn peptone from waste material.