Abstract: The invention relates to methods for the production of amphiphilic products such as esters, sugar-esters, peptide-esters, glycolipids, glycoproteins, lipoproteins, peptides, and phosphates of alcohols, sugars, and nucleosides. The methods promote enzymatically catalyzed reactions between hydrophilic substrates such as glycerol, glucose, amino acids, and nucleosides, and second substrates such as free fatty acids, triglycerides, vinylesters, amino acids, and phosphates. The method is also applied to enzymatic reactions with saccharides and polyalcohols. The hydrophilic substrates are adsorbed to finely divided solid supports such as silica gel, diatomaceous earths, or activated charcoals in order to promote the dispersion of the hydrophilic substrates within hydrophobic substrates and solvents. Hydrophobic solvents such as n-hexane and t-butylmethylether may be included in the reaction mixtures.Reactions are conducted under non-aqueous conditions in order to promote reverse hydrolysis.

Abstract: D-malic acid is produced from D,L-malic acid by subjecting the racemate to the action of a microorganism or product thereof which assimilates L-malic acid but not D-malic acid, until the L-malic acid in the racemate is substantially consumed. D-malic acid recovered from the reaction mixture has a high degree of optical purity. Preferred microorganisms are bacteria such as Pseudomonas putida and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus.