Chemoenzymatic syntheses of amylose-grafted chitin and chitosan

Biomacromolecules. 2007 Dec;8(12):3959-64. doi: 10.1021/bm701000t.

Abstract

Amylose-grafted chitin and chitosan were synthesized by chemoenzymatic methods according to the following reaction manners. First, maltoheptaose was introduced to chitosan by a reductive amination using sodium cyanotrihydroborate in a mixed solvent of 1.0 mol/L aqueous acetic acid and methanol at room temperature to produce a maltoheptaose-grafted chitosan (1). The functionality of maltoheptaose to chitosan in 1 depended on reaction time. The phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization of R-D-glucose 1-phosphate was then performed from 1 to obtain amylose-grafted chitosan (2). Maltoheptaose-grafted chitin (3) was synthesized by N-acetylation of 1 using acetic anhydride in a mixed solvent of aqueous acetic acid and methanol. Then, synthesis of amylose-grafted chitin (4) was performed by the phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization under conditions the same as those for 2. The average DPs of amylose graft chains in 2 and 4 depended on the feed ratios of R-D-glucose 1-phosphate to maltoheptaose primers in 1 and 3.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylation
  • Amylose / chemistry*
  • Chitin / chemical synthesis*
  • Chitosan / chemistry*
  • Glucans / chemistry
  • Green Chemistry Technology / methods*
  • Phosphorylases / chemistry

Substances

  • Glucans
  • Chitin
  • maltoheptaose
  • Amylose
  • Chitosan
  • Phosphorylases