Sugar cane juice for the bioreduction of carbonyl compounds

A series of compounds including aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes and ketone were reduced using a plant cell preparation from sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum). The products were obtained in poor to excellent yields (2.5–100%), and with good enantiomeric excess (25–100%) measured by GC chiral column. Other functional groups were also evaluated including ester, nitrile and amide, but were not reduced. Preliminary kinetic studies are reported. This represents the first report of the use of sugar cane as a biocatalytic agent.