Hexanal produced by cells of a recombinant Yarrowia lipolytica yeast expressing the hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) from green bell pepper fruit was studied under oxido-reducing conditions using the reducing dithiotreitol and oxidizing potassium ferricyanide compounds. The combined effect of pH, linoleic acid 13-hydroperoxides concentration, temperature and oxido-reducing molecules on the hexanal production was studied. Significant positive effects for the hexanal production were found using high concentrations of hydroperoxides (100 mM, 30 g/L). Adding reducing molecules enhanced significantly hexanal production while the oxidizing molecules had an inhibitory effect. Combined effects of 13-hydroperoxides and dithiotreitol were optimised by a central composite design and a model was proposed. Finally, 6 mM (600 mg/L) of hexanal was obtained when 119 mM of 13-hydroperoxides (37 g/L) and 50 mM of dithiotreitol were introduced directly in the biocatalytic medium of the yeast Y. lipolytica. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.