Phenylethanol alcohol, or 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) production by yeasts has been considered a promising alternative to its chemical synthesis. In order to evaluate the potential of yeast strains isolated from different Brazilian environments, we evaluated the 2-PE production of 267 strains. Among them, the Kluyveromyces marxianus CCT 7735 yeast stood out as being the best 2-PE producer. The K. marxianus CCT 7735 growth was impaired by 2-PE; nevertheless, this effect is less pronounced than the inhibition reported for certain Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. The maximum 2-PE titer obtained under optimized conditions was 3.44 g/L, 28% higher than the titer achieved under unoptimized conditions. The optimized conditions were: 30ºC, and glucose and L-phe concentrations of 3.0 and 4.0 g/L, respectively. Moreover, the specific production rate of 2-PE increased twofold compared to the unoptimized conditions.
