PRODUCTION OF RACEMIC TYPE N-ACYLPHENYLALANINE

PURPOSE:In heating N-acyl-D-phenylalanine, etc., as a raw material in an organic solvent, to obtain the titled compound useful as an essential component of a medicine for promoting nutrition, etc., by a simple operation in a short time, by carrying out the heating in the presence of a catalytic amount of a dehydrating agent. CONSTITUTION:N-Acyl-D-phenylalanine or N-acyl-L-phenylalanine is heated in the presence of a catalytic amount of a dehydrating agent (especially preferably acetic anhydride) in an aromatic hydrocarbon (preferably xylene) at >=130 deg.C, to give the titled compound. In order to obtain the titled compound from a reaction system, for example, after the reaction is over, the reaction solution is cooled while stirring, fine crystal is formed and dispersed in the solvent, so it is filtered. The amount of the dehydrating agent used is preferably 1-10wt% (0.02-0.2mol) based on the raw material N-acyl-D-phenylalanine.