A NOVEL-APPROACH TO BIOTRANSFORMATIONS IN AQUEOUS-ORGANIC 2-PHASE SYSTEMS - ENZYMATIC-SYNTHESIS OF ALKYL BETA-[D]-GLUCOSIDES USING MICROENCAPSULATED BETA-GLUCOSIDASE

A novel approach to enzymatic biotransformations in aqueous-organic tw o-phase systems was developed where the aqueous phase was contained wi thin permeable polymeric capsules suspended in organic solvent. Microe ncapsulated P-glucosidase, used as a model enzyme, was shown to retain its catalytic activity for a considerable time and was repeatedly use d in batch experiments after recharging the microcapsules with solid g lucose. The reaction conditions for the synthesis of hexyl beta-[D]-gl ucopyranoside were optimized with regard to the polymer composition of the microcapsules, pH, and the volume ratio of aqueous to organic pha ses. The potential for further improvement in the efficiency of the sy stem was demonstrated by designing a bioreactor which incorporated uni ts for product recovery and recycling of the organic solvent. Other ad vantages of the proposed methodology include facile control over the s ize and composition of the microcapsules, and mild reaction conditions during their preparation. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.