A kinetic model for the deactivation of pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) by benzaldehyde

To provide further understanding of the biotransformation of benzaldehyde to L-phenylacetyl carbinol (L-PAC), an intermediate in L-ephedrine production, a kinetic model has been developed for the deactivation of pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) by benzaldehyde. The model confirms that deactivation is first order with respect to benzaldehyde concentration and exhibits a square root dependency on time. The model covers the range of benzaldehyde concentrations 100–300 mM, as it has been shown previously that 200 mM benzaldehyde can produce L-PAC concentrations up to 190 mM (28.6 g/L) using partially purified PDC from Candida utilis.