Evaluation of the Hydroxynitrile Lyase Activity in Cell Cultures of Capulin (Prunus serotina)`

Enzymatic preparations obtained from young plants and cell cultures of capulin were screened for hydroxynitrile lyaseactivity. The thrceweek old plants, grown under sterile conditions, were used to establish a solid cell culture. Crude preparationsobtained from this plant material were evaluated for the transformation of benzaldehyde to the corresponding eyanohydrin(mandelonitrile). The results show that the crude material from roots, stalks, and leaves of young plants and calli of roots, stalks,internodes and petioles biocatalyzed the addition of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) to benzaidehyde with a modest to excellentenantioselectivity.