Pyruvate decarboxylase: a new enzyme for the production of acyloins by biotransformation

Abstract
Highly purified pyruvate decarboxylase from yeast has been shown to catalyse the condensation between pyruvate and a wide range of substituted benzaldehydes to give hydroxyketones (acyloins) of the same (R) enantiomeric series and of high optical purity, as determined by chiral GC using novel cyclodextrin-based stationary phases.