Esterification of hydrophilic polyols by adsorption onto a solid support and employing a substrate-immiscible solvent

Abstract

The invention relates to methods for the production of amphiphilic products such as esters, sugar-esters, peptide-esters, glycolipids, glycoproteins, lipoproteins, peptides, and phosphates of alcohols, sugars, and nucleosides. The methods promote enzymatically catalyzed reactions between hydrophilic substrates such as glycerol, glucose, amino acids, and nucleosides, and second substrates such as free fatty acids, triglycerides, vinylesters, amino acids, and phosphates. The method is also applied to enzymatic reactions with saccharides and polyalcohols. The hydrophilic substrates are adsorbed to finely divided solid supports such as silica gel, diatomaceous earths, or activated charcoals in order to promote the dispersion of the hydrophilic substrates within hydrophobic substrates and solvents. Hydrophobic solvents such as n-hexane and t-butylmethylether may be included in the reaction mixtures. Reactions are conducted under non-aqueous conditions in order to promote reverse hydrolysis. Methods are provided for the production of isomerically pure 1,3-diglycerides. Further methods are disclosed for the production and specific precipitation of pure 1-monoglycerides through the use of a reactor/separator system. Enzymes used in the methods include lipases from M. mihei and P. fluorescens, glycosidases such as .beta.-galactosidase, proteases such as chymotrypsin, and acid or alkaline phosphatases. Compositions are provided comprising alcohols, carbohydrates, amino acids, or peptides adsorbed onto solid supports such as silica gel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.