Microbial alcohol dehydrogenases: recent developments and applications in asymmetric synthesis.

Alcohol dehydrogenases are a well-known group of enzymes in the class of oxidoreductases that use electron transfer cofactors such as NAD(P)/NAD(P)H for oxidation or reduction reactions of alcohols or carbonyl compounds respectively. These enzymes are utilized mainly as purified enzymes and offer some advantages in terms of green chemistry. They are environmentally friendly and a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical synthesis of bulk and fine chemicals.