Production of β-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethanol and β-(4-hydroxyphenyl)lactic acid by Candida species

Abstract

Two crystalline compounds were isolated from the culture filtrates of Candida species grown in synthetic medium supplemented with L-tyrosine as the sole source of nitrogen. These compounds were characterized as β-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethanol (HOPEA) and β-(4-hydroxy-phenyDlactic acid (HOPLA). The production of these compounds in five species (both pathogenic and non-pathogenic) was compared and marked differences were revealed. Experiments using L-[¹⁴C]tyrosine indicated that both HOPEA and HOPLA are synthesized from L-tyrosine.