Lipase catalyzed synthesis of organic acid esters of lactic acid in non-aqueous media

Enhancing C-S and C-N bond formation with ultrasound assistance: lipase-catalyzed synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted thiazole derivatives from arylethanones and thioamides

The present study explores an innovative approach for the efficient synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted thiazole derivatives, a class of compounds with diverse biological and pharmaceutical significance. This research presents lipase as a highly effective and environmentally friendly catalyst for thiazole synthesis. Under mild circumstances, the condensation of aryl ethenone, KBrO3, and thioamide is aided by using ultrasonic energy. Moreover, we harness the power of ultrasound irradiation to accelerate the reaction, reducing reaction times and improving product yields. The lipase-catalyzed, ultrasound-assisted synthesis presented in this study represents a greener and more sustainable alternative to traditional synthetic pathways for these important compounds, offering promising potential for applications in medicinal chemistry and drug development. This approach holds the promise of advancing the field of thiazole synthesis, contributing to more sustainable and efficient chemical processes.

Biocatalytic Approach for Direct Esterification of Ibuprofen with Sorbitol in Biphasic Media

Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) introduced in the 1960s and widely used as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic. In its acid form, the solubility of 21 mg/L greatly limits its bioavailability. Since the bioavailability of a drug product plays a critical role in the design of oral administration dosage, this study investigated the enzymatic esterification of ibuprofen as a strategy for hydrophilization. This work proposes an enzymatic strategy for the covalent attack of highly hydrophilic molecules using acidic functions of commercially available bioactive compounds. The poorly water-soluble drug ibuprofen was esterified in a hexane/water biphasic system by direct esterification with sorbitol using the cheap biocatalyst porcine pancreas lipase (PPL), which demonstrated itself to be a suitable enzyme for the effective production of the IBU-sorbitol ester. This work reports the optimization of the esterification reaction.

Evolution of the feruloyl esterase MtFae1a from Myceliophthora thermophila towards improved catalysts for antioxidants synthesis

The chemical syntheses currently employed for industrial purposes, including in the manufacture of cosmetics, present limitations such as unwanted side reactions and the need for harsh chemical reaction conditions. In order to overcome these drawbacks, novel enzymes are developed to catalyze the targeted bioconversions. In the present study, a methodology for the construction and the automated screening of evolved variants library of a Type B feruloyl esterase from Myceliophthora thermophila (MtFae1a) was developed and applied to generation of 30,000 mutants and their screening for selecting the variants with higher activity than the wild-type enzyme. The library was generated by error-prone PCR of mtfae1a cDNA and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Screening for extracellular enzymatic activity towards 4-nitrocatechol-1-yl ferulate, a new substrate developed ad hoc for high-throughput assays of feruloyl esterases, led to the selection of 30 improved enzyme variants. The best four variants and the wild-type MtFae1a were investigated in docking experiments with hydroxycinnamic acid esters using a model of 3D structure of MtFae1a. These variants were also used as biocatalysts in transesterification reactions leading to different target products in detergentless microemulsions and showed enhanced synthetic activities, although the screening strategy had been based on improved hydrolytic activity.

Optimized synthesis of novel prenyl ferulate performed by feruloyl esterases from Myceliophthora thermophila in microemulsions

Five feruloyl esterases (FAEs; EC 3.1.1.73), FaeA1, FaeA2, FaeB1, and FaeB2 from Myceliophthora thermophila C1 and MtFae1a from M. thermophila ATCC 42464, were tested for their ability to catalyze the transesterification of vinyl ferulate (VFA) with prenol in detergentless microemulsions. Reaction conditions were optimized investigating parameters such as the medium composition, the substrate concentration, the enzyme load, the pH, the temperature, and agitation. FaeB2 offered the highest transesterification yield (71.5 ± 0.2%) after 24 h of incubation at 30 °C using 60 mM VFA, 1 M prenol, and 0.02 mg FAE/mL in a mixture comprising of 53.4:43.4:3.2 v/v/v n-hexane:t-butanol:100 mM MOPS-NaOH, pH 6.0. At these conditions, the competitive side hydrolysis of VFA was 4.7-fold minimized. The ability of prenyl ferulate (PFA) and its corresponding ferulic acid (FA) to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals was significant and similar (IC₅₀ 423.39 μM for PFA, 329.9 μM for FA). PFA was not cytotoxic at 0.8-100 μM (IC₅₀ 220.23 μM) and reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human skin fibroblasts at concentrations ranging between 4 and 20 μM as determined with the dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay.

Enzymatic synthesis of bioactive compounds with high potential for cosmeceutical application

Cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products containing biologically active ingredients purporting to offer a pharmaceutical therapeutic benefit. The active ingredients can be extracted and purified from natural sources (botanicals, herbal extracts, or animals) but can also be obtained biotechnologically by fermentation and cell cultures or by enzymatic synthesis and modification of natural compounds. A cosmeceutical ingredient should possess an attractive property such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, skin whitening, anti-aging, anti-wrinkling, or photoprotective activity, among others. During the past years, there has been an increased interest on the enzymatic synthesis of bioactive esters and glycosides based on (trans)esterification, (trans)glycosylation, or oxidation reactions. Natural bioactive compounds with exceptional theurapeutic properties and low toxicity may offer a new insight into the design and development of potent and beneficial cosmetics. This review gives an overview of the enzymatic modifications which are performed currently for the synthesis of products with attractive properties for the cosmeceutical industry.

Lipase catalysis in organic solvents: advantages and applications

Lipases are industrial biocatalysts, which are involved in several novel reactions, occurring in aqueous medium as well as non-aqueous medium. Furthermore, they are well-known for their remarkable ability to carry out a wide variety of chemo-, regio- and enantio-selective transformations. Lipases have been gained attention worldwide by organic chemists due to their general ease of handling, broad substrate tolerance, high stability towards temperatures and solvents and convenient commercial availability. Most of the synthetic reactions on industrial scale are carried out in organic solvents because of the easy solubility of non-polar compounds. The effect of organic system on their stability and activity may determine the biocatalysis pace. Because of worldwide use of lipases, there is a need to understand the mechanisms behind the lipase-catalyzed reactions in organic solvents. The unique interfacial activation of lipases has always fascinated enzymologists and recently, biophysicists and crystallographers have made progress in understanding the structure-function relationships of these enzymes. The present review describes the advantages of lipase-catalyzed reactions in organic solvents and various effects of organic solvents on their activity.

Production, purification, characterization, and applications of lipases

Lipases (triacylglycerol acylhydrolases, EC 3.1.1.3) catalyze the hydrolysis and the synthesis of esters formed from glycerol and long-chain fatty acids. Lipases occur widely in nature, but only microbial lipases are commercially significant. The many applications of lipases include speciality organic syntheses, hydrolysis of fats and oils, modification of fats, flavor enhancement in food processing, resolution of racemic mixtures, and chemical analyses. This article discusses the production, recovery, and use of microbial lipases. Issues of enzyme kinetics, thermostability, and bioactivity are addressed. Production of recombinant lipases is detailed. Immobilized preparations of lipases are discussed. In view of the increasing understanding of lipases and their many applications in high-value syntheses and as bulk enzymes, these enzymes are having an increasing impact on bioprocessing.