Enzymatic synthesis of capsaicin 4-O-β-xylooligosaccharides by β-xylosidase from Aspergillus sp

Antimicrobial Properties of Capsaicin: Available Data and Future Research Perspectives

Capsaicin is a phytochemical derived from plants of the genus Capsicum and subject of intensive phytochemical research due to its numerous physiological and therapeutical effects, including its important antimicrobial properties. Depending on the concentration and the strain of the bacterium, capsaicin can exert either bacteriostatic or even bactericidal effects against a wide range of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, while in certain cases it can reduce their pathogenicity by a variety of mechanisms such as mitigating the release of toxins or inhibiting biofilm formation. Likewise, capsaicin has been shown to be effective against fungal pathogens, particularly Candida spp., where it once again interferes with biofilm formation. The parasites Toxoplasma gondi and Trypanosoma cruzi have been found to be susceptible to the action of this compound too while there are also viruses whose invasiveness is significantly dampened by it. Among the most encouraging findings are the prospects for future development, especially using new formulations and drug delivery mechanisms. Finally, the influence of capsaicin in somatostatin and substance P secretion and action, offers an interesting array of possibilities given that these physiologically secreted compounds modulate inflammation and immune response to a significant extent.

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of glycolyl-ester-linked taxol-monosaccharide conjugate and its drug delivery system using hepatitis B virus envelope L bio-nanocapsules

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of glycolyl-ester-linked taxol-glucose conjugate, ie, 7-glycolyltaxol 2″-O-α-D-glucoside, was achieved by using α-glucosidase as a biocatalyst. The water-solubility of 7-glycolyltaxol 2″-O-α-D-glucoside (21 μM) was 53 fold higher than that of taxol. The hepatitis B virus envelope L particles (bio-nanocapsules) are effective for delivering 7-glycolyltaxol 2″-O-α-D-glucoside to human hepatocellular carcinoma NuE cells.

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of ester-linked docetaxel-monosaccharide conjugates as water-soluble prodrugs

Three new docetaxel prodrugs, i.e., 7-propionyldocetaxel 3''-O-β-D-glycopyranosides, which contain ester-linked monosaccharides, were synthesized by a chemo-enzymatic procedure involving enzymatic transglycosylations with lactase, β-galactosidase, or β-xylosidase. The water-solubility of 7-propionyldocetaxel 3''-O-β-D-glucopyranoside was 52-fold higher than that of docetaxel. 7-Propionyldocetaxel 3''-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and 7-propionyldocetaxel 3''-O-β-D-xylopyranoside were effectively hydrolyzed by the relevant enzyme(s) of human cancer cells to release docetaxel, whereas 7-propionyldocetaxel 3''-O-β-D-galactopyranoside was relatively resistant under similar conditions. 7-Propionyldocetaxel 3''-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and 7-propionyldocetaxel 3''-O-β-D-xylopyranoside showed in vitro cytotoxic activity against human cancer cells, whereas 7-propionyldocetaxel 3''-O-β-D-galactopyranoside exerted low cytotoxicity.