title: Enzymatic synthesis of alpha-arbutin by alpha-anomer-selective glucosylation of hydroquinone using lyophilized cells of Xanthomonas campestris WU-9701.
abstract: Alpha-arbutin, a useful cosmetic ingredient, was selectively synthesized by alpha-anomer-selective glucosylation of hydroquinone with maltose as a glucosyl donor using lyophilized cells of Xanthomonas campestris WU-9701 as a biocatalyst. When 45 mM hydroquinone and 120 mg of lyophilized cells showing 11 nkat of alpha-glucosyl transfer activity were shaken in 2 ml of 10 mM H3BO3NaOHKCl buffer (pH 7.5) containing 1.2 M maltose at 40 degrees C, only one form of hydroquinone glucoside was selectively obtained as a product and identified as hydroquinone 1-O-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (alpha-arbutin) by 13C-NMR, 1H-NMR and two-dimensional HMBC analysis. Although hydroquinone has two phenolic -OH groups at the para position in its structure, only one -OH group, but not both -OHs, was glucosylated and no other glucosylated products such as maltotriose were detected in the reaction mixture. The reaction at 40 degrees C for 36 h under optimum conditions yielded 42 mM alpha-arbutin, and the maximum molar conversion yield based on the amount of hydroquinone supplied reached 93%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ohkubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kurosu
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Keishiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsugane
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimura
authors.forename: Kohtaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kirimura
authors.forename: Kuniki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kino
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Usami