Continuous Synthesis of N-Formyl-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine Methyl Ester in Aqueous/Organic Biphase System

摘要

The precursor of aspartame, an artificial sweetener which is 200 times sweeter than sucrose, N-formyl-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (F-APM) was synthesized continuously in aqueous/organic biphase system with a high yield, more than 80%. The method was based on the extractive synthesis with an enzymatic reaction and a product separation, which made it possible to use a soluble enzyme and to recover a product continuously. The total cost of an aspartame production process was expected to be decrease with our newly-developed method.