Plants as a green alternative for alcohol preparation from aromatic aldehydes

A general methodology for the efficient reduction of aromatic aldehydes and three ketones to their corresponding alcohols (interesting as cosmetic fragrances in their majority) with moderate to excellent chemical yield was achieved by using homogenates of broccoli (B. oleracea var. italic), cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botrytis), beet (B. vulgaris var. cicla), and spinach (S. oleraceae) in aqueous suspension and mild reaction conditions. B. oleracea var. italic and B. oleracea var. botrytis gave the maximum bioconversion yields within short reaction times. Vegetables assayed exhibited an excellent yield (≥ 99%) after 24 hours for aromatic aldehydes.