Patent ID: 7964637

Claim:
A method for producing optically active theaspiran represented by the formula(4*), wherein * indicates asymmetric carbon atom; the method is characterized in that mixture of optical isomers of alcohol represented by the formula(1); is enantioselectively esterified in the presence of an enzyme by an esterification agent of the general formula (2), wherein R 1 is a hydrogen atom or C 1 -C 6 hydrocarbon group optionally having a substituent group, and R 2 is a hydrogen atom, C 1 -C 6 alkyl group or C 1 -C 4 alkoxy group; and optically active ester represented by the general formula (3*) and/or optically active alcohol represented by the formula (1*) is obtained, wherein R 1 is a hydrogen atom or a C 1 -C 6 hydrocarbon group optionally having a substituent group; wherein * indicates an asymmetric carbon atom; and the abundance ratio of R-form and S-form of the formula 3* and said ratio of the formula 1* are different from each other, one contains more R-form and the other contains more S-form) the resulting optically active alcohol (1*) is isolated, and the alcohol (1*) is cyclized by an acid catalyst.