Development and Optimization of Lipase-Catalyzed Synthesis of Phospholipids Containing 3,4-Dimethoxycinnamic Acid by Response Surface Methodology

Highly effective synthesis of novel structured phospholipid emulsifiers using magnetically recyclable Fe3O4@SiO2/M (M = Zn or Al) composite

It is of great importance to develop a most efficient, recyclable, and ecofriendly process to produce novel structured phospholipid emulsifiers. Herein, innovative medium-chain structured phospholipid (MCSPL) emulsifiers were synthesized through transesterification of soybean lecithins with medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) promoted by Zn- or Al-incorporated Fe3O4@SiO2, denoted by Fe3O4@SiO2/M (M = Zn or Al). Resultingly, Fe3O4@SiO2/M (M = Zn or Al) exhibited the most superior reactivity with 97.1% or 88.7% MCFA incorporation to other benchmark catalysts and also had excellent magnetic separability and recyclability. Noticeably, targeted MCSPLs possessed almost more superior emulsifying properties to other phospholipid emulsifiers, and had potential for use as oil-in-water emulsifiers. Conclusively, the present findings demonstrate that transesterification promoted by Fe3O4@SiO2/M (M = Zn or Al) can be a promising approach for green, economic, and highly effective synthesis of novel dual-function phospholipid emulsifiers with bioactive and emulsifying properties in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.

Suppression of human lysozyme aggregation by a novel copper-based complex of 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid

In this work, a new Cu(II)-based complex as a chemotherapeutic drug agent, formulated as[Cu(DCA)4(H2O)2]⋅4H2O⋅4MeOH, (DCA = 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid), namely 1 was successfully synthesized utilizing DCA as a ligand to arrest fibrillation in Human lysozyme. The 1 was thoroughly characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD), spectroscopic (UV-Vis and FTIR) techniques, PXRD, and TGA analysis. Its crystal structure reveals a paddle wheel network around central copper metal ions. The Cu(II) metal ions exhibit a distorted square pyramidal configuration. The fluorescence titration studies showed moderate binding interaction of 1 with HuL with Ka of 6.3x105 M-1 at pH-2, 25 °C due to its interaction withAsp53, Tyr63, Val110, and Ala111 as shown by docking and simulation studies. 1suppresses the HuL fibrillation in a concentration-dependent manner, as demonstrated by ThT assay. At 200 µM concentration, it leads to the formation of smaller species of the protein in comparison to the control sample, as suggested by Light Scattering studies. The species formed are less hydrophobic and retain their native α-helix structure compared to the control samples, which are hydrophobic and form β-sheet rich amyloids as shown by ANS hydrophobicity assay and CD spectroscopy, respectively. Furthermore, morphological analysis of the species by AFM has demonstrated that, unlike mature amyloid fibrils in the control sample, HuL forms small-size aggregates in the presence of 1 under similar fibrillation conditions. It can be concluded that 1 effectively suppresses HuL fibrillation due to moderate binding to the protein.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Ultrasound Plus Vacuum-System-Assisted Biocatalytic Synthesis of Octyl Cinnamate and Response Surface Methodology Optimization

Cinnamic acid is one of the phenolic compounds that is isolated from cinnamon, or other natural plants, and has a wide range of physiological activities. However, the application of cinnamic acid is limited due to its poor solubility and low oral bioavailability. In this study, the feasibility of producing octyl cinnamate by ultrasonic assistance, combined with a rotary evaporation under vacuum, was studied using methyl cinnamate and octanol as the starting materials. A Box–Behnken design (BBD) was employed to evaluate the effects of the operation parameters, including reaction temperature (55–75 °C), reaction time (4–12 h), and ultrasonic power (90–150 W) on the production of octyl cinnamate. Meanwhile, the synthesis process was further optimized by the modeling response surface methodology (RSM). The data indicated that octyl cinnamate was efficiently synthesized from methyl cinnamate and octanol using the ultrasound plus vacuum system; further, this system was superior to the conventional method. According to the RSM model for the actual experiments, a reaction temperature of 74.6 °C, a reaction time of 11.1 h, and an ultrasound power of 150 W were determined to be the best conditions for the maximum molar conversion of octyl cinnamate (93.8%). In conclusion, the highly efficient synthesis of octyl cinnamate by a rotary evaporator with an ultrasound plus vacuum system was achieved via RSM optimization.

Progress & Prospect of Enzyme-Mediated Structured Phospholipids Preparation

In recent years, structured phospholipids (SPLs), which are modified phospholipids (PLs), have attracted more attention due to their great potential for application in the field of pharmacy, food, cosmetics, and health. SPLs not only possess enhanced chemical, physical and nutritional properties, but also present superior bioavailability in comparison with other lipid forms, such as triacylglycerols, which make SPLs become more competitive carriers to increase the absorption of the specific fatty acids in the body. Compared with chemical-mediated SPLs, the process of enzyme-mediated SPLs has the advantages of high product variety, high substrate selectivity, and mild operation conditions. Both lipases and phospholipases can be used in the enzymatic production of SPLs, and the main reaction type contains esterification, acidolysis, and transesterification. During the preparation, reaction medium, acyl migration, water content/activity, substrates and enzymes, and some other parameters have significant effects on the production and purity of the desired PLs products. In this paper, the progress in enzymatic modification of PLs over the last 20 years is reviewed. Reaction types and characteristic parameters are summarized in detail and the parameters affecting acyl migration are first discussed to give the inspiration to optimize the enzyme-mediated SPLs preparation. To expand the application of enzyme-mediated SPLs in the future, the prospect of further study on SPLs is also proposed at the end of the paper.

Metabolite characterization of fifteen by-products of the coffee production chain: From farm to factory

Approximately 11.4 million tonnes of solid by-products and an increased amount of waste water will be generated during the 2020/21 coffee harvest. There are currently no truly value-adding uses for these potentially environmentally threatening species. This work presents the most wide-ranging chemical investigation of coffee by-products collected from farms to factories, including eight never previously investigated. Twenty compounds were found for the first time in coffee by-products including the bioactive neomangiferin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, lup-20(29)-en-3-one and 3,4-dimethoxy cinnamic acid. Five by-products generated inside a factory showed caffeine (53.0-17.0 mg.g^-1) and/or chlorogenic acid (72.9-10.1 mg.g^-1) content comparable to coffee beans, while mature leaf from plant pruning presented not only high contents of both compounds (16.4 and 38.9 mg.g-1, respectively), but also of mangiferin (19.4 mg.g-1) besides a variety of flavonoids. Such by-products are a source of a range of bioactive compounds and could be explored with potential economic and certainly environmental benefits.

Enzymatic Production of Biologically Active 3-Methoxycinnamoylated Lysophosphatidylcholine via Regioselctive Lipase-Catalyzed Acidolysis

Enzymatic acidolysis of egg-yolk phosphatidylcholine (PC) with 3-methoxycinnamic acid (3-OMe-CA) was investigated to produce biologically active 3-methoxycinnamoylated phospholipids. Four commercially available lipases were screened for their ability to incorporate 3-OMe-CA into PC. The results showed that Novozym 435 is the most effective biocatalyst for this process, while during the examination of organic solvents, heptane was found propriate reaction medium. The other reaction parameters including the substrate molar ratio, enzyme load and reaction time were designed using an experimental factorial design method. According to three-level-3-factor Box-Behnken model it was shown that all of studied parameters are crucial variables for the maximization of the synthesis of structured PLs. The optimum conditions derived via response surface methodology (RSM) were: 30% of lipase of the total weight of substrates, 1:15 molar ration of PC/3-OMe-CA and reaction time 4 days. The process of acidolysis performed on the increased scale at optimized parameters afforded two products. The major product, 3-methoxycinnamoylated lysophosphatidylcholine (3-OMe-CA-LPC) was isolated in high 48% yield, while 3-methoxycinnamoylated phosphatidylcholine (3-OMe-CA-PC) was produced in trace amount only in 1.2% yield. Obtained results indicate that presented biotechnological method of synthesis of 3-methoxycinnamoylated lysophosphatidylcholine is competitive to the previously reported chemical one.

Recent Developments in Therapeutic and Nutraceutical Applications of p-Methoxycinnamic Acid from Plant Origin

The p-methoxycinnamic acid (p-MCA) is one of the most studied phenylpropanoids with high importance not only in the wide spectrum of therapeutic activities but also its potential application for the food industry. This natural compound derived from plants exhibits a wide range of biologically useful properties; therefore, during the last two decades it has been extensively tested for therapeutic and nutraceutical applications. This article presents the natural sources of p-MCA, its metabolism, pharmacokinetic properties, and safety of its application. The possibilities of using this dietary bioactive compound as a nutraceutical agent that may be used as functional food ingredient playing a vital role in the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases is also discussed. We present the antidiabetic, anticancer, antimicrobial, hepato-, and neuroprotective activities of p-MCA and methods of its lipophilization that have been developed so far to increase its industrial application and bioavailability in the biological systems.

Biological Properties, Health Benefits and Enzymatic Modifications of Dietary Methoxylated Derivatives of Cinnamic Acid

Methoxylated derivatives of cinnamic acid play an important role in the formation of the pro-health potential of food products. Numerous reports present them as molecules with strong antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anticancer as well as hepato-, cardio-, and neuroprotective activities. In the last three decades, many research groups have tried to extend the practical application of these molecules as therapeutic and antioxidant agents extensively studying the methods of their lipophilization as the solution of problems of their low oral bioavailability and rapid metabolism. This article summarizes the latest data of natural sources of occurrence, biological potential and bioavailability of methoxy derivatives of cinnamic acids. Metabolism and pharmacokinetics of this group of dietary compounds are also extensively discussed as well as reviewing the methods of their chemical and enzymatic lipophilization in the aspect of their use in food and pharmaceutical industries.

Biocatalytic Process Optimization

Biocatalysis refers to the use of microorganisms and enzymes in chemical reactions, has become increasingly popular and is frequently used in industrial applications due to the high efficiency and selectivity of biocatalysts [...]

Interesterification of Egg-Yolk Phosphatidylcholine with p-Methoxycinnamic Acid Catalyzed by Immobilized Lipase B from Candida Antarctica

The p-methoxycinnamic acid (p-MCA) is one of the most popular phenylpropanoids, the beneficial impact of which on the human health is well documented in the literature. This compound has shown many valuable activities including anticancer, antidiabetic, and neuro- and hepatoprotective. However, its practical application is limited by its low bioavailability resulting from rapid metabolism in the human body. The latest strategy, aimed at overcoming these limitations, is based on the production of more stability in systemic circulation bioconjugates with phospholipids. Therefore, the aim of this research was to develop the biotechnological method for the synthesis of phospholipid derivatives of p-methoxycinnamic acid, which can play a role of new nutraceuticals. We developed and optimized enzymatic interesterification of phosphatidylcholine (PC) with ethyl p-methoxycinnamate (Ep-MCA). Novozym 435 and a binary solvent system of toluene/chloroform 9:1 (v/v) were found to be the effective biocatalyst and reaction medium for the synthesis of structured p-MCA phospholipids, respectively. The effects of the other reaction parameters, such as substrate molar ratio, enzyme dosage, and reaction time, on the degree of incorporation of p-MCA into PC were evaluated by use of an experimental factorial design method. The results showed that substrate molar ratio and biocatalyst load have significant effects on the synthesis of p-methoxycinnamoylated phospholipids. The optimum conditions were: Reaction time of three days, 30% (w/w) of Novozym 435, and 1/10 substrate molar ratio PC/Ep-MCA. Under these parameters, p-methoxycinnamoylated lysophosphatidylcholine (p-MCA-LPC) and p-methoxycinnamoylated phosphatidylcholine (p-MCA-PC) were obtained in isolated yields of 32% and 3% (w/w), respectively.