Hydroxy-acids => aldehydes

Free amino acids are further catabolized into several volatile flavor compounds. However, the pathways involved are not fully known. A detailed summary of the various studies on the role of the catabolism of amino acids in cheese flavor development was published by Curtin and McSweeney (2004). Two major pathways have been suggested (1) aminotransferase or lyase activity and (2) deamination or decarboxylation. Aminotransferase activity results in the formation of a-ketoacids and glutamic acid. The a-ketoacids are further degraded to flavor compounds such as hydroxy acids, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids. a-Ketoacids from methionine, branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine), or aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan) serve as the precursors to volatile flavor compounds (Yvon and Rijnen, 2001). Volatile sulfur compounds are primarily formed from methionine. Methanethiol, which at low concentrations, contributes to the characteristic flavor of Cheddar cheese, is formed from the catabolism of methionine (Curtin and McSweeney, 2004 Weimer et al., 1999). Furthermore, bacterial lyases also metabolize methionine to a-ketobutyrate, methanethiol, and ammonia (Tanaka et al., 1985). On catabolism by aminotransferase, aromatic amino acids yield volatile flavor compounds such as benzalde-hyde, phenylacetate, phenylethanol, phenyllactate, etc. Deamination reactions also result in a-ketoacids and ammonia, which add to the flavor of... 

Analysis The a-hydroxy acid can best be made from an aldehyde and, then we can cany on as usual with a 1,3-dicarbonyl disconnection ... 

Reactions and Uses. The common reactions that a-hydroxy acids undergo such as self- or bimolecular esterification to oligomers or cycHc esters, hydrogenation, oxidation, etc, have been discussed in connection with lactic and hydroxyacetic acid. A reaction that is of value for the synthesis of higher aldehydes is decarbonylation under boiling sulfuric acid with loss of water. Since one carbon atom is lost in the process, the series of reactions may be used for stepwise degradation of a carbon chain. 

Cyanohydrin Synthesis. Another synthetically useful enzyme that catalyzes carbon—carbon bond formation is oxynitnlase (EC 4.1.2.10). This enzyme catalyzes the addition of cyanides to various aldehydes that may come either in the form of hydrogen cyanide or acetone cyanohydrin (152—158) (Fig. 7). The reaction constitutes a convenient route for the preparation of a-hydroxy acids and P-amino alcohols. Acetone cyanohydrin [75-86-5] can also be used as the cyanide carrier, and is considered to be superior since it does not involve hazardous gaseous HCN and also virtually eliminates the spontaneous nonenzymatic reaction. (R)-oxynitrilase accepts aromatic (97a,b), straight- (97c,e), and branched-chain aUphatic aldehydes, converting them to (R)-cyanohydrins in very good yields and high enantiomeric purity (Table 10). 

Although alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) also catalyze the oxidation of aldehydes to the corresponding acids, the rate of this reaction is significantly lower. The systems that combine ADH and aldehyde dehydrogenases (EC 1.2.1.5) (AldDH) are much more efficient. For example, HLAD catalyzes the enantioselective oxidation of a number of racemic 1,2-diols to L-a-hydroxy aldehydes which are further converted to L-a-hydroxy acids by AldDH (166). 

The lac resin is associated with two lac dyes, lac wax and an odiferous substance, and these materials may be present to a variable extent in shellac. The resin itself appears to be a polycondensate of aldehydic and hydroxy acids either as lactides or inter-esters. The resin constituents can be placed into two groups, an ether-soluble fraction (25% of the total) with an acid value of 100 and molecular weight of about 550, and an insoluble fraction with an acid value of 55 and a molecular weight of about 2000. 

Hydrolysis of the resins will produce aldehydic acids at mild concentration of alkali ( N) using more concentrated alkalis (5N) hydroxy acids are produced, probably via the aldehydic acids. Unfortunately most of the work done in order to analyse the lac resin was carried out before the significance of the hydrolysis conditions was fully appreciated. It does, however, appear to be agreed that one of the major constitutents is aleuritie acid (Figure 30.9). 

Mandelic Acid.—The reaction furnishes a simple and general method for obtaining hydroxy-acids from aldehydes or ketones by the aid of the cyanhydrin. The formation of the cyanhydrin may be effected in the manner described or by the action of hydrochloric acid on a mixture of the aldehyde or ketone with potassium cyanide, or, as in the case of the sugais, by the use of liquid hydrocyanic acid and a little amme-nia. 

The NAD- and NADP-dependent dehydrogenases catalyze at least six different types of reactions simple hydride transfer, deamination of an amino acid to form an a-keto acid, oxidation of /3-hydroxy acids followed by decarboxylation of the /3-keto acid intermediate, oxidation of aldehydes, reduction of isolated double bonds, and the oxidation of carbon-nitrogen bonds (as with dihydrofolate reductase). 

One of the more complex local anthetics in fact comprises a basic ether of a bicyclic heterocyclic molecule. Condensation of 1-nitropentane with acid aldehyde, 79, affords the phthalide, 81, no doubt via the hydroxy acid, 80. Reduction of the nitro group... 

Allyl anion synthons A and C, bearing one or two electronegative hetero-substituents in the y-position are widely used for the combination of the homoenolate (or / -enolate) moiety B or D with carbonyl compounds by means of allylmetal reagents 1 or 4, since hydrolysis of the addition products 2 or 5 leads to 4-hydroxy-substituted aldehydes or ketones 3, or carboxylic acids, respectively. At present, 1-hetero-substituted allylmetal reagents of type 1, rather than 4, offer the widest opportunity for the variation of the substitution pattern and for the control of the different levels of stereoselectivity. The resulting aldehydes of type 3 (R1 = H) are easily oxidized to form carboxylic acids 6 (or their derivatives). 

Use of the valine derived (4S )-3-acetyl-4-isopropyl-1,3-oxazolidine (8)92, the C2-symmetric reagents (2.5,55)-l-acetyl-2,5-bissubstituted pyrrolidine 994, or the doubly deprotonated acetyl urea /V-acetyl- V..V -bis[(.S)-l-phcnylethyl]urea (10), also does not lead to sufficient induced stereoselectivity combined with acceptable chemical yield. When the acetyl urea enolate is reacted with aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes, the diastereomeric adducts (ratios ranging from 1 1 to 3 1) may be separated by column chromatography to give ultimately both enantiomers of the 3-hydroxy acids in 99% ee110. 

Metalation of 4,5-dihydro-2-[(7 )-sulfinylmethyl]oxazoles (e.g., 2) with butyllithium at -90 C and reaction of the chiral azaenolates with aldehydes furnishes the hydroxyalkylated sulfinylox-azole derivatives 3 which are desulfurized to give the 4,5-dihydro-2-(2-hydroxyalkyl)oxazoles 4. The corresponding 3-hydroxy acids 5 are obtained by acidic hydrolysis in 60-85% overall yield and 26-53% ee31. 

The anions of 2-(arylsulfinylmethyl)oxazoles can be added to aldehydes to give 2-(l-aryl-sulfinyl-2-hydroxyalkyl)oxazoles which have been transformed into /1-hydroxy acids. With lithium bases, the enantioseleetivity could be increased to 50%. The use of a more chelating counter ion, such as magnesium, lowered the optical yields44. 

The use of enantiomerically pure (R)-5-menthyloxy-2(5.//)-furanone results in lactone enolates, after the initial Michael addition, which can be quenched diastereoselectively trans with respect to the /J-substituent. With aldehydes as electrophiles adducts with four new stereogenic centers arc formed with full stereocontrol and the products are enantiomerically pure. Various optically active lactones, and after hydrolysis, amino acids and hydroxy acids can be synthesized in this way317. 

The addition of HCN to aldehydes or ketones produces cyanohydrins (a-hydroxy nitriles). Cyanohydrins racemize under basic conditions through reversible loss of FiCN as illustrated in Figure 6.30. Enantiopure a-hydroxy acids can be obtained via the DKR of racemic cyanohydrins in the presence of an enantioselective nitriletransforming enzyme [86-88]. Many nitrile hydratases are metalloenzymes sensitive to cyanide and a nitrilase is usually used in this biotransformation. The DKR of mandelonitrile has been extended to an industrial process for the manufacture of (R)-mandelic acid [89]. 

The condensation of aromatic aldehydes with anhydrides is called the Perkin reaction When the anhydride has two a hydrogens (as shown), dehydration always occurs the P-hydroxy acid salt is never isolated. In some cases, anhydrides of the form (R2CHC0)20 have been used, and then the hydroxy compound is the product since dehydration cannot take place. The base in the Perkin reaction is nearly always the salt of the acid corresponding to the anhydride. Although the Na and K salts have been most frequently used, higher yields and shorter reaction times have been reported for the Cs salt. Besides aromatic aldehydes, their vinylogs ArCH=CHCHO also give the reaction. Otherwise, the reaction is not suitable for aliphatic aldehydes. ... 

Frequently, it is the bisulfite addition product that is treated with CN. This method is especially useful for aromatic aldehydes, since it avoids competition from the benzoin condensation. If desired, it is possible to hydrolyze the cyanohydrin in situ to the corresponding a-hydroxy acid. This reaction is important in the Kiliani-Fischer method of extending the carbon chain of a sugar. 

Reaction of ketones such as 1-menthone 398 with silylated glycolic acid 417 in the presence of catalytic amounts of TMSOTf 20 provides an lil-mixture of the l,3-dioxolan-4-ones 418 and 419 [35, 36]. Likewise, other aldehydes and ketones [37, 38] and pivaldehyde [39] react with substituted silylated glycohc adds 420 a, b and yS-hydroxy acids 420c to give, e.g., 421 a, b and 421c as mixtures [37-40]. Reaction of pivaldehyde with the persilylated hydroxy acid 420 d and TMSOTf 20 to... 

The substituents direct the approach of the aldehyde. The acyl oxazolidinones can be solvolyzed in water or alcohols to give the enantiomeric (3-hydroxy acid or ester. Alternatively, they can be reduced to aldehydes or alcohols. 

Hydroxynitrile lyases (HNLs or oxynitrilases) catalyze C—C bond-forming reactions between an aldehyde or ketone and cyanide to form enantiopure cyanohydrins (Figure 1.15), which are versatile building blocks for the chiral synthesis of amino acids, hydroxy ketones, hydroxy acids, amines and so on [68], Screening of natural sources has led to the discovery of both... 

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