Beschreibung:
<jats:p>Selective transformations of limonene by asco- and basidiomycetes were investigated. On the shake flask scale, Penicillium citrinum hydrated R-(+)-limonene to α-terpineol [83% regioselectivity (rs), more than 80 mg 1<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> product yield], and Gongronella butleri catalysed the terminal oxidation to yield perillyl alcohol (60% rs, 16 mg 1<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup>). On the laboratory bioreactor scale, Penicillium digitatum produced a peak concentration of 506 mg α-terpineol 1<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> in the fed-batch mode, equivalent to a theoretical yield of 67%, and no volatile by-products were found. Fusarium proliferatum transformed R-(+)-limonene enantiospecifically to cis-(+)- carveol (98.6% ee, more than 35 mg 1<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> product yield) and S-(-)-limonene predominantly to trans-(-)-carveol (96.3% ee). Pleurotus sapidus selectively dehydrogenised the accumulating trans-(-)-carveol to the corresponding enantiopure R-(-)-carvone. The results show that a careful selection of strain and bioprocess parameters may improve both the yield and the optical purity of a desired product.</jats:p>