Enzymatic production of D-3-phenyllactic acid by Pediococcus pentosaceus D-lactate dehydrogenase with NADH regeneration by Ogataea parapolymorpha formate dehydrogenase.

3-Phenyllactic acid (PLA) is an antimicrobial compound with broad and effective antimicrobial activity against both bacteria and fungi. Enzymatic production of PLA can be carried out from phenylpyruvic acid by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH); however, the enzymatic reaction is accompanied by NADH oxidation that inhibits PLA biotransformation. Here, NADH regeneration was achieved using the formate dehydrogenase from Ogataea parapolymorpha and introduced into the D-PLA production process using the D-LDH from Pediococcus pentosaceus. Optimum PLA production by dual enzyme treatment was at pH 6.0 and 50 °C with both enzymes at 0.4 μM. Using 0.2 mM NADH, D-PLA production by NADH regeneration system reached 5.5 mM, which was significantly higher than that by a single-enzyme reaction.