Complete conversion of l-lactate into d-lactate. A generic approach involving enzymatic catalysis, electrochemical oxidation of NADH, and electrochemical reduction of pyruvate
L-Lactate was converted into D-lactate with a yield better than 97%, the system involving stereospecific catalysis of L-lactate oxidation by the rather cheap L-lactate dehydrogenase plus electrochemical regeneration of NAD+ at the anode and electrochemical reduction of pyruvate at the cathode. Such an approach can be extended to mere deracemization or complete inversion of all types of chiral α-alcohol-acids provided that the dehydrogenase related to the isomer to be inverted is available. Efficiency was not limited by enzyme or coenzyme deactivations.
Biade, Azz-Eddine,Bourdillon, Christian,Laval, Jean-Marc,Mairesse, Gilles,Moiroux, Jacques