Enantioselective bioreduction of propentofylline using yeast in water and organic solvents

Propentofylline (PPT) is a drug used in the treatment of both vascular dementia and Alzheimer type dementia. Hydroxy-metabolites of propentofylline (OHPPT) also demonstrate the same biological activity as the parent compound. As steroisomers of HOPPT are not commercially available, we had to produce them for pharmacological and pharmacokinetic studies. The aim of this study was to find the strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yielding enantiomerically pure (R)- or (S)-l-(5-hydroxyhexyl)-3-methyl-7-propylxanthin (OHPPT) from PPT. In this paper, we present the results of stereoselective reduction of PPT into OHPPT when catalysed by whole cells of baker’s and a few strains of wine yeast in water and organic solvents.