Patent ID: 7659409

Claim:
A method for producing a 3-hydroxy-3-(2-thienyl)propionamide represented by formula (1): wherein R 1 and R 1′ each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group or an aralkyl group, R 3 and R 4 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, wherein R 3 and R 4 may together form a carbon ring, R 5 represents a halogen atom, a nitro group, a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group which may be substituted, an aryl group which may be substituted or an alkoxy group which may be substituted, and n is an integer of from 0 to 3, comprising: subjecting a β-ketocarbonyl compound represented by formula (3): wherein R 1 , R 1′ , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and n are as defined above, and R 2 is represents an alkyl group, an aryl group or an aralkyl group, to an asymmetric reduction using a cell, a treated product of said cell and/or a culture medium of a microorganism having the ability to stereoselectively reduce carbonyl group, and then the resulting product is allowed to react with an amine represented by the formula R 1 R 1′ NH, wherein R 1 and R 1′ are as defined above, to effect its amidation.