The Addition of Diethyl Malonate into Aldehydes Catalyzed by Oxynitrilase in Defatted Almond Meal

Defatted almond meal, which contains oxynit-rilase, has been used as a catalyst for the produc-tion of aromatic and aliphatic (R)-cyanohydrins.Oxynitrilase, which is also known as mandeloni-trile lyase (or hydroxynitrile lyase, Hnls), catalyzesthe reversible formation of cyanohydrins from HCNand aldehydes or ketones (Scheme 1).