The Use of Baker's Yeast in the Generation of Asymmetric Centers to Produce Chiral Drugs and Other Compounds

This review gives a general idea about the importance of chiral carbon in medicine and a way to obtain chiral building blocks with baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or synthesis of medicaments and other organic compounds. Reactions with these microorganisms are cheaper and easier to be executed than with chemicals (for example, organometallics). Examples of important and practical reactions catalyzed by enzymes inside Saccharomyces cerevisiae are given and probable mechanisms of action of these enzymes are shown. Although these microbes have advantages such as low cost and availability, there are some cares that are necessary to be taken, like NAD(P)H dosage to choose strains more adequate for reduction reactions.