Biocatalytic activity of fresh Passiflora spp. leaves in enantioselective oxido-reduction.

The biocatalytic activity of five species of Passiflora leaves (i.e. P. amethyst, P. incarnata, P. quadrangularis, P. edulis, P. cerulea) was tested in the reduction of the ketone “cocktail” (i.e. 5-hexen-2-one 1, acetophenone 2, cisbicyclo[ 3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one 3 and 2-methylcyclohexanone 4) and in the oxidation of the corresponding alcohols “cocktail” (i.e. 5-hexen-2-ol 5, 1-phenylethanol 6, endo-bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-ol 7, exo-bicyclo[3.2.0] hept-2-en- 6-ol 8, trans-2-methylcyclohexanol 9 and cis-2-methylcyclohexanol 10). P. amethyst and P. incarnata show the best activity in the reduction, while P. quadrangularis affords low yield in reduction but gives appreciable results in oxidation towards a cocktail of model substrates. This simple screening permits to test the potential of parts of fresh plants that can be used as biocatalysts in more ecologically and economically promising transformations