New insights on the baker's yeast-mediated hydration of oleic acid: the bacterial contaminants of yeast are responsible for the stereoselective formation of (R)-10-hydroxystearic acid.

This study holds both scientific and industrial interest. It unambiguously establishes that the eukaryote micro-organisms present in baker's yeast are not able to hydrate oleic acid. The isolation of oleic acid hydrating bacterial strains from commercial baker's yeast points to their prospective use for the industrial synthesis of 10-HSA.