PRODUCTION OF OPTICALLY ACTIVE SECONDARY ALCOHOL

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently obtain the subject compound useful for production, etc., of medicines, agrochemicals, liquid crystals, perfumery, etc., by treating a ketone body with a catalytic amount of NAD , NADP , a secondary alcohol and dried microorganismic cell powder. SOLUTION: A ketone body (e.g. 3-methyl oxobutanate) of formula I [R is a 1-16C alkyl such as methyl or ethyl and substitutable with O or a halogen, etc., in a midway of the chain; R is a (substituted) aryl, a 1-12C alkoxycarbonyl methyl or a 1-6C alkyl, etc.] is added with a catalytic amount of NAD and/or NADP , a secondary alcohol (e.g. 2-pentanol) and a dried microorganism is cell powder of e.g. Geotrichum candidum IFO4597 and are mutually reacted to efficiently obtain the objective optically active secondary alcohol [e.g. (S)-3-methyl hydroxybutanate] of formula II (* exhibits an optically active site).