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US 6,271,006 B1Granted
Enzymatic process for the manufacture of ascorbic acid, 2-keto-L-gulonic acid and esters of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid
AssigneeEastman Chemical Company
InventorJohn Clark Hubbs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is directed toward efficient, high-yield processes for making ascorbic acid, 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, and esters of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid. The processes comprise reacting the appropriate starting materials with a hydrolase enzyme catalyst such as a protease, an esterase, a lipase or an amidase.
Claims6
A process for preparing an ester of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing an alcoholic solution of a first ester of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid and an alcohol corresponding to an alkyl moiety of a second ester of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid to be formed;
- and
- (b) then contacting the first ester of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid in solution with an esterase enzyme catalyst to form the second ester of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, wherein the esterase has at least 90 percent sequence homology with a pig liver esterase having the sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:
- 2.
1 more element
A process for preparing an ester of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing an alcoholic solution of a first ester of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid and an alcohol corresponding to an alkyl moiety of a second ester of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid to be formed;
- and
- (b) then contacting the first ester of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid in solution with a lipase enzyme catalyst to form the second ester of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, wherein the lipase has at least 90 percent sequence homology with a Candida Antartica type B lipase having the sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:
- 3.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.