Green Biocatalysis of Xylitol Monoferulate: <i>Candida antarctica</i> Lipase B-Mediated Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Bifunctional Prodrug

Natural compounds with significant bioactive properties can be found in abundance within biomasses. Especially prominent for their anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities are cinnamic acid derivatives (CAs). Ferulic acid (FA), a widely studied phenylpropanoid, e...

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Main Authors: Federico Zappaterra, Francesco Presini, Domenico Meola, Chaimae Chaibi, Simona Aprile, Lindomar Alberto Lerin, Pier Paolo Giovannini
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:BioTech
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6284/14/2/25
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author Federico Zappaterra
Francesco Presini
Domenico Meola
Chaimae Chaibi
Simona Aprile
Lindomar Alberto Lerin
Pier Paolo Giovannini
author_facet Federico Zappaterra
Francesco Presini
Domenico Meola
Chaimae Chaibi
Simona Aprile
Lindomar Alberto Lerin
Pier Paolo Giovannini
author_sort Federico Zappaterra
collection DOAJ
description Natural compounds with significant bioactive properties can be found in abundance within biomasses. Especially prominent for their anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities are cinnamic acid derivatives (CAs). Ferulic acid (FA), a widely studied phenylpropanoid, exhibits a broad range of therapeutic and nutraceutical applications, demonstrating antidiabetic, anticancer, antimicrobial, and hepato- and neuroprotective activities. This research investigates the green enzymatic synthesis of innovative and potentially bifunctional prodrug derivatives of FA, designed to enhance solubility and stability profiles. Selective esterification was employed to conjugate FA with xylitol, a biobased polyol recognized for its bioactive antioxidant properties and safety profile. Furthermore, by exploiting <i>t</i>-amyl alcohol as a green solvent, the enzymatic synthesis of the derivative was optimized for reaction parameters including temperature, reaction time, enzyme concentration, and molar ratio. The synthesized derivative, xylitol monoferulate (XMF), represents a novel contribution to the literature. The comprehensive characterization of this compound was achieved using advanced spectroscopic methods, including <sup>1</sup>H-NMR, <sup>13</sup>C-NMR, COSY, HSQC, and HMBC. This study represents a significant advancement in the enzymatic synthesis of high-value biobased derivatives, demonstrating increased biological activities and setting the stage for future applications in green chemistry and the sustainable production of bioactive compounds.
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spelling doaj-art-76789fe6cb574a24b129ecb4d771c1b72025-08-20T03:27:13ZengMDPI AGBioTech2673-62842025-04-011422510.3390/biotech14020025Green Biocatalysis of Xylitol Monoferulate: <i>Candida antarctica</i> Lipase B-Mediated Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Bifunctional ProdrugFederico Zappaterra0Francesco Presini1Domenico Meola2Chaimae Chaibi3Simona Aprile4Lindomar Alberto Lerin5Pier Paolo Giovannini6Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari, 46, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari, 46, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari, 46, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari, 46, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari, 46, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari, 46, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari, 46, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyNatural compounds with significant bioactive properties can be found in abundance within biomasses. Especially prominent for their anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities are cinnamic acid derivatives (CAs). Ferulic acid (FA), a widely studied phenylpropanoid, exhibits a broad range of therapeutic and nutraceutical applications, demonstrating antidiabetic, anticancer, antimicrobial, and hepato- and neuroprotective activities. This research investigates the green enzymatic synthesis of innovative and potentially bifunctional prodrug derivatives of FA, designed to enhance solubility and stability profiles. Selective esterification was employed to conjugate FA with xylitol, a biobased polyol recognized for its bioactive antioxidant properties and safety profile. Furthermore, by exploiting <i>t</i>-amyl alcohol as a green solvent, the enzymatic synthesis of the derivative was optimized for reaction parameters including temperature, reaction time, enzyme concentration, and molar ratio. The synthesized derivative, xylitol monoferulate (XMF), represents a novel contribution to the literature. The comprehensive characterization of this compound was achieved using advanced spectroscopic methods, including <sup>1</sup>H-NMR, <sup>13</sup>C-NMR, COSY, HSQC, and HMBC. This study represents a significant advancement in the enzymatic synthesis of high-value biobased derivatives, demonstrating increased biological activities and setting the stage for future applications in green chemistry and the sustainable production of bioactive compounds.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6284/14/2/25ferulic acidxylitolgreen enzymatic synthesisbifunctional prodrugsbiobased polyolsCaLB
spellingShingle Federico Zappaterra
Francesco Presini
Domenico Meola
Chaimae Chaibi
Simona Aprile
Lindomar Alberto Lerin
Pier Paolo Giovannini
Green Biocatalysis of Xylitol Monoferulate: <i>Candida antarctica</i> Lipase B-Mediated Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Bifunctional Prodrug
BioTech
ferulic acid
xylitol
green enzymatic synthesis
bifunctional prodrugs
biobased polyols
CaLB
title Green Biocatalysis of Xylitol Monoferulate: <i>Candida antarctica</i> Lipase B-Mediated Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Bifunctional Prodrug
title_full Green Biocatalysis of Xylitol Monoferulate: <i>Candida antarctica</i> Lipase B-Mediated Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Bifunctional Prodrug
title_fullStr Green Biocatalysis of Xylitol Monoferulate: <i>Candida antarctica</i> Lipase B-Mediated Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Bifunctional Prodrug
title_full_unstemmed Green Biocatalysis of Xylitol Monoferulate: <i>Candida antarctica</i> Lipase B-Mediated Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Bifunctional Prodrug
title_short Green Biocatalysis of Xylitol Monoferulate: <i>Candida antarctica</i> Lipase B-Mediated Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Bifunctional Prodrug
title_sort green biocatalysis of xylitol monoferulate i candida antarctica i lipase b mediated synthesis and characterization of novel bifunctional prodrug
topic ferulic acid
xylitol
green enzymatic synthesis
bifunctional prodrugs
biobased polyols
CaLB
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6284/14/2/25
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