Lactones 29. Enzymatic resolution of racemic γ-lactones

Studies on the application of commercially available enzymes to resolution of the racemic unsaturated γ-lactones: 5-(3-methylbutylidene)-4-methyl-tetrahydrofuran-2-one (1a) and 5-(3,3-dimethylbutylidene)-4-methyl-tetrahydrofuran-2-one (2a) are presented. Lipase PS, Rhizopus niveus lipase, Rhizopus arrhizus lipase, porcine pancreas lipase and hog liver esterase transformed substrates into their respective γ-keto acids with good efficiency (50–75%). Three of them hydrolysed the studied lactones with moderate enantioselectivity. Enantiomeric excesses determined by GC for the unreacted lactones were in the range of 20–60%. Lipase PS preferentially hydrolysed the (+) enantiomers of lactones 1a and 2a whereas R. niveus lipase hydrolysed the (?) enantiomers, respectively.