| abstract |
The present invention deals with a process for the enzyme-catalysed selective esterif ication of sugar molecules. Said process may comprise one phase in which a lipase enzyme is encapsulated into a biopolymer scaffold to catalyse the selective esterif ication of a sugar substrate with an acylating agent, e.g., an acyl donor fatty acid ester such as a vinyl alkanoate, mostly at a fixed position of the sugar moiety, e.g. at the C-6 position thereof; and one phase in which said reaction is carried out preferably in an alkyl hydroxylic solvent, being both the enzyme and the sugar substrate immobilized or encapsulated within the biopolymer scaffold. This process is particularly useful for producing biodegradable surfactants, like fatty acid esters of suitable sugars, and for producing intermediates for the production of useful sugar derivatives, e.g. 6-O-acyl-sucrose, which is a key intermediate in a route to the production of the high-intensity sweetener Sucralose®. |