The present invention relates to the technical field of pharmaceutical and
chemical synthesis, and particularly to an industrial preparation method of
levocarnitine. The method comprises the following steps: adding an
Escherichia coli engineered bacterium
cell containing
carbonyl reductase and
glucose dehydrogenase,
anhydrous glucose, and coenzyme into a buffer
salt solution, dropping ethyl 4-chloroacetoacetate for reaction, and obtaining ethyl (R)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrate through extraction, concentration under reduced pressure, and high-
vacuum distillation; dropping ethyl (R)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrate into an
aqueous solution of
trimethylamine in the presence of an inorganic base, keeping the temperature for reaction, adjusting the pH with an acid first and then with a base after the reaction ends; and obtaining the
levocarnitine compound through
electrodialysis for desalting. The present invention uses a whole-
cell catalysis method, which has stronger adaptability; does not use a cosolvent, is green and
environmentally friendly, has little influence on
enzyme activity, and has higher optical purity of the product. By changing the addition mode of the intermediate, the reaction is more complete and the yield is higher. The
electrodialysis for desalting has good effect, high efficiency, and is more suitable for industrialization.