17β-Estradiol has a wide range of uses in treating hormone related disease and is one of the important steroid hormones. The bioreduction of estrone to 17β-estradiol, which can substitute the chemical syntheses of this important compound, has been of great value. A survey of the ability of some microorganisms and plants for stereoselective reduction of estrone to 17β-estradiol was carried out. Five plants (Daucus carota, Brassica rapa, Raphnus sativus, Pastinaca sativa and Brassica oleracea) and microorganisms (Aspergillus foetidus, Penicillum citrinum Saccharomyces carlbergensis, Pichia fermentans, Rhodotrula glutinis) were selected among the most cited species. Whole cell bioreduction of estrone was carried out using these species. Microorganisms generally proved to be superior to plants. In plants only D. carota and B. rapa carried out the bioreduction and with low conversion. Conversely, in microorganisms, Rhodotrula glutinis, carried out this bioreduction with 81% conversion rate and a 42% yield. Pichia fermentance and Saccharomyces cervisiae had conversion rates of 49% and 45% and yields of 30% and 33%, respectively. No α-estradiol was found in any experiment. It is suggested that R. glutinis can serve as a promising biocatalyst for the bioreduction of estrone to 17β-estradiol.
