Resolution of 2-phenoxy-1-propanols through the enantioselective acylation mediated by Achromobacter sp. lipase as biocatalyst

Enantioselective acylation employing vinyl alkanoates as acyl donors was exploited for the resolution of 2-(substituted phenoxy)-1-propanols carrying different substituents on the benzene ring using Achromobacter sp. lipase. These primary alcohols with an oxygen atom at the stereocenter, were resolved with moderate to good enantioselectivity, based on the enantiomeric ratio E (up to 27), through acylation with vinyl butanoate in diisopropyl ether, after the examination of potential factors affecting the reaction such as organic solvents and acyl donors. Using this procedure, enantiomerically enriched (R)-2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-1-propanol was prepared in 97% e.e. and 33% yield in a gram-scale reaction.     

Enzymatic resolution of 2-phenoxy-1-propanols through the enantioselective acylation mediated by Achromobacter sp. lipase

2-(Substituted phenoxy)-1-propanols, e.g. 2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-1-propanol, belonging to primary alcohols with an oxygen atom at the stereocenter, were resolved with moderate to good enantioselectivity, as judged by the value of enantiomeric ratio E (up to 27), through the enantioselective acylation with vinyl butanoate mediated by the little-known lipase from Achromobacter sp. in diisopropyl ether, after the examination of potential factors affecting the reaction such as organic solvents and acyl donors.     

Donor specificity and regioselectivity in Lipolase mediated acylations of methyl α-d-glucopyranoside by vinyl esters of phenolic acids and their analogues

Methyl α-d-glucopyranoside as a model acceptor was acylated by several phenolic and non-phenolic vinyl esters using immobilised Lipolase. Donor specificity and regioselectivity of reaction were investigated. Conversion and rate of acylation by structurally varied donors indicates that the synthetic reactivity of Lipolase corresponds to the hydrolytic activity of feruloyl esterase type A. Lipolase exhibited remarkable regioselectivity for primary position of methyl α-d-glucopyranoside. The acylation occurred exclusively at 6-O primary position when vinyl esters of phenolic acids (hydroxybenzoates, hydroxyphenylalkanoates and hydroxycinnamates) served as acyl donors (5–77%). In addition to the major 6-O-acyl products (52–79%), 2,6-di-O-acylated derivatives were isolated from reaction mixtures (2–13%) when non-phenolic donors were used (vinyl esters of fully methoxylated derivatives of phenolic acids, along with vinyl benzoates, cinnamates or some heterocyclic analogues).     

A lipase‐catalyzed process for green synthesis of temsirolimus

Temsirolimus is an intravenous drug for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma that can be prepared using enol acyl donors, which is not favorable in process development. An improved enzymatic process to prepare temsirolimus has been developed employing lipase‐catalyzed regioselective acylation of rapamycin with environmentally friendly acyl donors. After screening of common commercial lipases and none‐enol acyl donors, it was found that p‐nitrophenyl 2,2,5‐trimethyl‐1,3‐dioxane‐5‐carboxylate reacted as efficient acyl donor when catalyzed by immobilized Thermomyces lanuginose lipase. By optimizing the process conditions (i.e., reaction temperature, solvents, and additives), the reaction time was significantly shortened while the reaction conversion reached 95.4% in methyl tert‐butyl ether after 48 h at 50°C using the new acyl donors. This work demonstrated a cost‐effective, efficient, and scalable process to synthesize temsirolimus.     

Studies on the enantioselectivity in the lipase-catalyzed synthesis of monoacylglycerols from isopropylidene glycerol

Summary The regioselective lipase-catalyzed acylation of isopropylidene glycerol using different vinyl esters as acyl donors in toluene was studied. Reaction progress and enantioselectivity were monitored by gas chromatography using a permethylated -cyclodextrin phase. All vinyl esters were completely converted after 20 to 24 h and it was found that the S-enantiomer reacted faster. Lower enantiomeric excess were found using e. g. vinyl palmitate (18 %ee) compared to e. g. vinyl butyrate (42 %ee) with crude lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia. Immobilization using the sol-gel method resulted in higher remaining activities (up to 69%) and increased enantioselectivity E (up to 8.5).     

Novel and Highly Efficient Regioselective Route to Helicid Esters by Lipozyme TLL

Highly regioselective acylation of helicid with fatty acid vinyl esters catalyzed by the lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus has been successfully performed for the first time. For the enzymatic caproylation of helicid, under the optimal conditions, initial reaction rate was 33.2 mM/h, and substrate conversion and regioselectivity were greater than 99%. In addition, the acyl recognition of the enzyme in the regioselective acylation of helicid was investigated. The results showed that although 6’-O-acyl derivatives of helicid were exclusively obtained with all the tested acyl donors, the enzymatic reaction rate varied widely with different acyl donors, presumably owing to their different interactions with the active site of the lipase. It is also interesting that the different configuration of only one hydroxyl group at C-3 in helicid couldn’t affect the lipase-catalyzed esterification and helicid has the same regioselectivity as that of D-glucose and arbutin.     

Enzymatic acrylation of 2-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone to synthesize the gamma butyrolactone methacrylate (GBLMA) for photoresist

Lipase-mediated acrylation has gained much attention instead of traditional chemical process, since it enables specific catalysis under benign conditions. The effect of acyl donors on the acrylation of 2-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone by Novozym 435 (immobilized lipase B from Candida antarctica) was investigated. Among acyl donors, vinyl methacrylate was selected to synthesize γ-butyrolactone methacrylate (GBLMA). The effects of solvent and reaction temperature on the acrylation using vinyl methacrylate were presented. The highest rate of conversion was obtained using methyl tert-butyl ether (>80%) as a solvent, of which a log P value is greater than other solvents tested. The conversion rate increased as the reaction temperature rose from 30 to 60°C and the conversion rate approached 95% at 60oC. The gamma butyrolactone methacrylate (GBLMA) synthesized with vinyl methacrylate at optimized conditions, in which MTBE is used as a solvent and the reaction is carried out at 60°C can be applicable as a monomer for synthesis of photoresist resin.     

Optimization of (R,S)-1-phenylethanol kinetic resolution over Candida antarctica lipase B in ionic liquids

The kinetic resolution of racemates constitutes one major route to manufacture optically pure compounds. The enzymatic kinetic resolution of (R,S)-1-phenylethanol over Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) by using vinyl acetate as the acyl donor in the acylation reaction was chosen as model reaction. A systematic screening and optimization of the reaction parameters, such as enzyme, ionic liquid and substrates concentrations with respect to the final product concentration, were performed. The enantioselectivity of immobilized CALB commercial preparation, Novozym 435, was assayed in several ionic liquids as reaction media. In particular, three different ionic liquids: (i) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [bmim][PF₆], (ii) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [bmim][BF₄] and (iii) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium triflimide [emim][NTf₂] were tested. At 6.6% (w/w) of Novozym 435, dispersed in 9.520 M of [bmim][PF₆] at 313.15 K, using an equimolar ratio of vinyl acetate/(R,S)-1-phenylethanol after 3 h of bioconversion, the highest possible conversion (50%) was reached with enantiomeric excess for substrate higher than 99%.     

Regioselective acylation of several polyhydroxylated natural compounds by Candida antarctica lipase B

Regioselective acylation of four polyhydroxylated natural compounds, deacetyl asperulosidic acid (1), asperulosidic acid (2), puerarin (3) and resveratrol (4) by Candida antarctica Lipase B in the presence of various acyl donors (vinyl acetate, vinyl decanoate or vinyl cinnamoate) was studied. Compounds 1, 2 and 4 were regioselectively acetylated with vinyl acetate to afford products, 3′-O-acetyl-10-O-deacetylasperulosidic acid (1a), 3′,6′-O-diacetyl-10-O-deacetylasperulosidic acid (1b), 3′-O-acetylasperulosidic acid (2a), 3′,6′-O-diacetylasperulosidic acid (2b), 4′-O-acetylresveratrol (4a), respectively, with yields of 22 to 50%, while reactions with vinyl decanoate and vinyl cinnamoate were slow with lower yields. Compound 3 was readily acylated with all three acyl donors and quantitatively converted to products 6″-O-acetylpuerarin (3a), 6″-O-decanoylpuerarin (3b), 6″-O-cinnamoylpuerarin (3c), respectively. The structures of these acylated products were determined by spectroscopic methods (MS and NMR).     

Lipase‐Catalyzed Kinetic Resolution of (±)‐1‐(2‐Furyl) Ethanol in Nonaqueous Media

S‐1‐(2‐Furyl) ethanol serves as an important chiral building block for the preparation of various natural products, fine chemicals, and is widely used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. In this work, lipase‐catalyzed kinetic resolution of (R/S)‐1‐(2‐furyl) ethanol using different acyl donors was investigated. Vinyl esters are good acyl donors vis‐à‐vis alkyl esters for kinetic resolution. Among them, vinyl acetate was found to be the best acyl donor. Different immobilized lipases such as Rhizomucor miehei lipase, Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase, and Candida antarctica lipase B were evaluated for this reaction, among which C. antarctica lipase B, immobilized on acrylic resin (Novozym 435), was found to be the best catalyst in n‐heptane as solvent. The effect of various parameters was studied in a systematic manner. Maximum conversion of 47% and enantiomeric excess of the substrate (ee_s) of 89% were obtained in 2 h using 5 mg of enzyme loading with an equimolar ratio of alcohol to vinyl acetate at 60°C at a speed of 300 rpm in a batch reactor. From the analysis of progress curve and initial rate data, it was concluded that the reaction followed the ordered bi–bi mechanism with dead‐end ester inhibition. Kinetic parameters were obtained by using nonlinear regression. This process is more economical, green, and easily scalable than the chemical processes. Chirality 26:286–292, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Simple and efficient solid support scavenging of excess acyl donors after enzymatic acylations in organic solvents

A simple and efficient method for removing excess acyl donors following enzymatic acylations in organic solvents was developed. This method is based on selective chemical scavenging of acyl donors using an amino-functionalized solid support, and does not affect the desired acylated product. A wide variety of different acyl donors, including vinyl and trifluoroethyl esters and vinyl carbonates, can be quantitatively removed by this method, thus providing a simple and highly efficient tool for purification of reaction products after enzymatic acylation.     

Asymmetric synthesis and biological evaluation of the enantiomeric isomers of the immunosuppressive FTY720-phosphate

A practical asymmetric synthesis of both enantiomers of the immunosuppressive FTY720-phosphate (2) was accomplished, and the enantiomers were pharmacologically evaluated. Several lipases showed considerable activity and enantioselectivity for O-acylation of N-acetyl FTY720 (3) or N-benzyloxycarbonyl FTY720 (7) in combination with vinyl acetate or benzyl vinyl carbonate as the acyl donors. The synthesis using the lipase-catalyzed acylation as the key step produced the enantiomerically pure (>99.5% ee) enantiomers of 2 in multigram quantities. (S)-Isomer of 2 had more potent binding affinities to S1P(1,3,4,5) and inhibitory activity on lymphocyte migration toward S1P than (R)-2, suggesting that (S)-isomer of 2 is responsible for the immunosuppressive activity after administration of 1. Severe bradycardia was observed in anesthetized rats when (S)-2 was administered intravenously, while (R)-2 had no clear effect on heart rate up to 0.3 mg/kg.     

Candida Antarctica Lipase B-Catalysed Synthesis Of Dihydroxyacetone Fatty Acid Esters

The enzymatic syntheses of 1-lauroyl-dihydroxyacetone and 1, 3-dilauroyl-dihydroxyacetone were investigated. Lipase B from Candida Antarctica (SP435) was used to catalyse the acylation of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) with lauric acid in organic solvent media at controlled water activity. High conversions of dihydroxyacetone (< 90%) are achieved when the water activity is 0.11 or below in solvents of various hydrophobicities, such as diethyl ether, methyl-terr-butyl ether (MTBE) and diphenyl ether. The main product in the esterification of DHA with lauric acid is 1-lauroyl-DHA, while the amount of 1, 3-dilauroyl-DHA that is produced can be increased by changing the reaction conditions. Thus, hasing the water activity from 0.75 to 0.06 resulted in an increase in the total yield of 1, 3-dilauroyl-DHA from 3% to 20%. Solvents which have high logP values favoured the acylation of 1-lauroyl-DHA and thereby the formation of 1, 3-dilauroyl-DHA. Thus, when diphenyl ether was used in this reaction, the yield of 1, 3-dilauroyl-DHA was 45%. Complete acylation to 1, 3-dilauroyl-DHA was achieved when a fatty acid vinyl ester was used as acyl donor in a closed reactor.     

Enantioselective resolution of 2-(1-hydroxy-3-butenyl)-5-methylfuran by immobilized lipase

An efficient and convenient strategy for synthesis of enantiomerically pure S-2-(1-hydroxy-3-butenyl)-5-methylfuran was for the first time described utilizing a lipase-mediated asymmetric acylation in organic solvents. Rhizopus arrhizus lipase was chosen as the biocatalyst, and different immobilization methods including sol–gel encapsulation and covalent attachment were adopted to improve its catalytic characteristics. Various influential factors of the reaction were also investigated. Finally, the results showed that the lipase covalently attached onto epoxy resin exhibited the highest enantioselectivity and operational stability. Under optimized reaction conditions, i.e., n-hexane as the solvent, 5/1 (mol/mol) of vinyl acetate to 2-(1-hydroxy-3-butenyl)-5-methylfuran and 30 °C, the ee value of S-1 reached up to above 98% at 52% conversion with an E value of 99.     

Regio-selective acylation of biologically important iridoid glycosides by Candida antarctica lipase

Lipase catalyzed regio-selective acylation of five iridoid glycosides viz., picroside I&II, catalpol, agnuside and negundoside in the presence of various acyl donors such as vinyl acetate and p-nitrophenyl alkanoates was studied. The regio-selectivity of enzymatic acylation and yields were found to vary amongst different substrates. Monoacylated products were isolated with all the substrates under scrutiny indicating high regio-selective nature of such transformations. A series of acyl esters of picroside-I, picroside-II, catalpol, agnuside and negundoside have been synthesized by this enzymatic trans-esterification methodology.     

Production of enantiomerically pure (<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>)-β-phenylalanine and (<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>)-β-phenylalanine by penicillin G acylase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> in aqueous medium

A new approach has been developed for the production of enantiomerically pure (S)-β-phenylalanine (S-BPA) and (R)-β-phenylalanine in aqueous medium based on enantioselective acylation and hydrolysis properties of penicillin G acylase from Escherichia coli. The acylation reaction was highly preferential for the acylation of (R)-BPA to form N-phenylacetyl-(R)-BPA using phenylacetamide as an acyl donor, which was separated and then hydrolyzed to (R)-BPA by the same enzyme at pH 7.5. The optimal acylation reaction was at pH 10, 25°C with a 2:1 molar ratio of phenylacetamide to BPA, 8 IU ml⁻¹ enzyme and 150 mM BPA. These resulted in a conversion of about 50% BPA; enantiomeric excess of (S)-BPA and (R)-BPA separated were 98 and 99%, respectively.     

Novel and highly regioselective route for synthesis of 5-fluorouridine lipophilic ester derivatives by lipozyme TL IM

For the first time, lipozyme TL IM, an inexpensive lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosa, was successfully applied to the regioselective synthesis of lipophilic 5-fluorouridine ester derivatives. The ESI-MS and (13)C NMR analysis confirmed that the end products of the acylation were 5'-O-acyl 5-fluorouridines, more powerful anti-tumor drugs than 5-fluorouridine itself. Notably, the chain length of acyl donors had an obvious effect on the initial rate and the maximum substrate conversion of the regioselective acylation. The acylation of 5-fluorouridine with vinyl laurate was used as a model to explore the influence of various factors on the reaction with respect to the initial rate, the maximum substrate conversion and the regioselectivity. The optimum water activity, the molar ratio of vinyl laurate to 5-fluorouridine, reaction temperature and shaking rate were 0.07, 15/1, 45 degrees C and 200rpm, respectively, under which the maximum substrate conversion and the regioselectivity were as high as 98.4 and >99%, respectively, after a reaction time of around 6h.     

Use of ionic liquids as media for the biocatalytic preparation of flavonoid derivatives with antioxidant potency

Biocatalytic preparation of acylated derivatives of flavonoid glycosides was performed using various immobilized lipases in two different ionic liquids, namely 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim]BF(4)) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim]PF(6)). The influence of various reaction parameters on the performance and the regioselectivity of the biocatalytic process was pointed out, using as model reaction the acylation of naringin and rutin with vinyl butyrate, catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase at 60 degrees C. The biocatalytic modification of flavonoids strongly depended on the ionic liquid used, the molar ratio of substrates, as well as the acyl donor chain length. The highest conversion yield (about 65% after 96 h of incubation) was obtained with short chain acyl donors (up to four carbon atoms), at a relatively high molar ratio (10-15) in both ionic liquids used. The amount of monoacylated flavonoid derivatives produced in a single-step biocatalytic process in [bmim]BF(4) was up to 5.5 g/L for monoacylated rutin and 30 g/L for monoacylated naringin. The regioselectivity of the process was higher in [bmim]BF(4) than in [bmim]PF(6) or organic solvents. Reaction rates observed in ionic liquids were up to four times higher than those reported for organic media. The acylation of sugar moiety of rutin with various acyl donors affected its antioxidant potential towards both isolated LDL and total serum model in vitro. A significant increase of antioxidant activity was observed for rutin-4'-O-oleate.     

Parameters affecting productivity in the lipase-catalysed synthesis of sucrose palmitate

The industrial application of lipases for the synthesis of sucrose esters is usually limited by its low productivity, as we need a medium where a polar reagent (the sugar) and a non-polar fatty acid donor are soluble and able to react in the presence of the biocatalyst. In this work, we have studied the problems encountered when trying to increase the volumetric productivity of sucrose esters. The synthesis of sucrose palmitate was performed in 2-methyl-2-butanol:dimethylsulfoxide mixtures by transesterification of different palmitic acid donors with sucrose, catalysed by the immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica B (Novozym 435). A protocol for substrate preparation different from that previously reported was found to improve the reaction rate. Several parameters, such as sucrose and acyl donor loadings, the percentage of DMSO in the mixture and the nature of acyl donor, were investigated. Under the best experimental conditions (15% DMSO, 0.1 mol l^?1 sucrose, 0.3 mol l^?1 vinyl palmitate), a maximum of 45 g l^?1 sucrose palmitate was obtained in 120 h. Using methyl or ethyl palmitate, the highest productivity was 7.3 g l^?1 in 120 h using 20% DMSO with 0.2 mol l^?1 sucrose and 0.6 mol l^?1 acyl donor. The formation of free fatty acid, and the effect of the percentage of DMSO on the monoester/diester selectivity were also studied. To our knowledge, this is the first report on enzymatic synthesis of sucrose esters of long fatty acids using alkyl esters as acyl donors.     

Effect of ultrasound on enzymatic acylation of konjac glucomannan

A comparative study was made of enzymatic acylation of konjac glucomannan with vinyl esters under ultrasonic irradiation and shaking in organic solvent tert-butanol. Among the 13 enzymes selected, Novozym 435 exhibited the highest acylation activity towards KGM whether under ultrasonic irradiation or shaking. The application of ultrasonic irradiation instead of shaking during the acylation led to improvement in the initial reaction rate, yield and degree of substitution of the modified KGM. Appropriate ultrasound power (100 W) and water activity (0.75) were found to accelerate enzymatic reaction. The acceleration effect of ultrasound on Novozym 435-catalyzed acylation decreased with an increase in the chain length of the acyl donors from C2 to C18. Moreover, the acylation of KGM in tert-butanol was proved to be a regioselective one, with C6-OH being acylated. Compared with shaking, ultrasound did not change regioselectivity of Novozym 435 in the acylation.