PURPOSE: To prepare sorbitol in high efficiency, by culturing microorganisms belonging to Pichia genus in a pentose, and treating glucose with the living cell or cell extract of the cultured microorganisms in the presence of NADPH.
CONSTITUTION: A microbial strain belonging to Pichia genus, e.g. Pichia quercuum IFO 0949, Pichia xylosa IFO 0950, etc. is cultured aerobically in a liquid medium containing 2W15% of pentose such as D-xylose, D-arabinose, D-ribose, etc. as a carbon source. The living cells, treated cells, disintegrated cells, cell extract, or their mixture is added to 1W60% glucose solution, and made to react with each other in the presence of 0.1mMW20mol of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) per 1mol of glucose.
KISE SHIYOUICHI
MAEDA HIDEKATSU
