distilled acetic anhydride 30 ml and dimethylaminopyridine 100 mg is kept at room temperature for 24 hr reaction mixture is then poured into cold water 50 ml acidified with dilute hydrochloric acid 10 and extracted with n hexane 3 u00d7 50 ml the hexane extract is washed with water 2 u00d7 25 ml dried over sodium sulphate and concentrated under vacuum to give an oily substance identified as u00b1 8 acetoxy 2 ethoxy 2 6 dimethyl 3 octene 11 2 g 92 5 the compound 8 acetoxy 2 ethoxy 2 6 dimethyl 3 octene 10 0 g 41 3 mmole is suspended in n hexane 50 ml in a round bottom and to this added the enzyme powder candida rugosa lipase crl 200 mg with continuous stirring for 24 hrs the reaction mixture is then poured in water and extracted with solvent ether 3 u00d7 100 ml the ether layer is then washed with water dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate and concentrated under vacuum to give an oil 8 0 g comprising a mixture of hydrolised and unhydrolysed products this mixture are is separated over a silica gel column with gradient elution with hexane ethylacetate 95 5 to 80 20 with gradient elusion to finish 1 u2212 2 ethoxy 2 6 dimethyl 3 octen 8 ol 5 0 g and other oily substance d 8 acetoxy 2 ethoxy 2 6 dimethyl 3 octene 2 6 g which are identified by spectral data the compound d 8.