Thermolysin catalyses the synthesis of cyclodextrin esters in DMSO

Abstract

Fatty acid esters of cyclodextrins (CDs) were synthesised in a one-step reaction with native CDs as acyl acceptors and vinyl-activated fatty acid esters as acyl donors. Immobilised preparations of thermolysin, subtilisin, the alkaline protease AL-89 and Candida antarctica lipase B were investigated for their catalytic properties regarding transesterification in solvents of increasing hydrophilicity. The synthesis of cyclodextrin fatty acid esters was proved to be catalysed enzymatically by thermolysin in DMSO. The obtained products were analysed by TLC and their structures characterised by NMR, MS and FTIR spectroscopy. With vinyl decanoate as acyl donor β-CD was esterified at all seven glucose C-2 positions resulting in heptakis(2- O-decanoyl)-β-cyclodextrin as the major product. With vinyl butyrate, substitution occurred at all the C-2 and partially at the C-3 or C-6 positions resulting in an average degree of substitution of nine. Between 20% and 25% (w/w) of the acyl donor was converted to esters in 20 h corresponding to an estimated total conversion of the acyl acceptor in the case of maltosyl-β-CD. In the subtilisin and AL-89 catalysed reactions, product formation was simultaneously catalysed non-enzymatically by inorganic buffer salts in aprotic, hydrophilic solvents and with the lipase no products were formed in any of the solvents investigated.