Tunable structure of chimeric isomaltomegalosaccharides with double α-(1 → 4)-glucosyl chains enhances the solubility of water-insoluble bioactive compounds.

Isomaltomegalosaccharides with α-(1 â†’ 4) and α-(1 â†’ 6)-segments solubilize water-insoluble ligands since the former complexes with the ligand and the latter solubilizes the complex. Previously, we enzymatically synthesized isomaltomegalosaccharide with a single α-(1 â†’ 4)-segment at the reducing end (S-IMS) by dextran dextrinase (DDase), but the chain length [average degree of polymerization (DP) ≤ 9] was insufficient for strong encapsulation. We hypothesized that the conjugation of longer α-(1 â†’ 4)-segment afforded the promising function although DDase is incapable to do so. In this study, the cyclodextrin glucanotransferase-catalyzed coupling reaction of α-cyclodextrin to S-IMS synthesized a new α-(1 â†’ 4)-segment at the nonreducing end (N-4S) of S-IMS to form D-IMS [IMS harboring double α-(1 â†’ 4)-segments]. The length of N-4S was modulated by the ratio between α-cyclodextrin and S-IMS, generating N-4Ss with DPs of 7-50. Based on phase-solubility analysis, D-IMS-28.3/13/3 bearing amylose-like helical N-4S with DP of 28.3 displayed a water-soluble complex with aromatic drugs and curcumin. Small-angle X-ray scattering revealed the chain adapted to rigid in solution in which the radius of gyration was estimated to 2.4 nm. Furthermore, D-IMS with short N-4S solubilized flavonoids of less-soluble multifunctional substances. In our research, enzyme-generated functional biomaterials from DDase were developed to maximize the hydrophobic binding efficacy towards water-insoluble bioactive compounds.

Partial depolymerization of tamarind seed xyloglucan and its functionality toward enhancing the solubility of curcumin.

Polysaccharides of tamarind seed, a byproduct of the tamarind pulp industry, displayed a potential solubility improvement of lipophilic bioactive molecules but their textural characteristics hinder the dietary formulation. In contrast, the commonly available xyloglucan oligosaccharides (XOSs) with degrees of polymerization (DPs) of 7, 8, and 9 were too short to maintain their ability. The binding capacity of the between sizes is unknown due to a lack of appropriate preparation. We prepared xyloglucan megalosaccharides (XMSs) by partial depolymerization, where term megalosaccharide (MS) defines the middle chain-length saccharide between DPs 10 and 100. Digestion with fungal cellulase enabled reproducible active XMSs. Further identification of pure XMS segments indicated that XMS-B has an average DP of 17.2 (Gal3Glc8Xyl6) with a branched dimer of XOS 8 and 9 and was free of side-chain arabinose, the residue influencing high viscosity. Curcumin, a bioactive pigment, has poor bioavailability because of its water insolubility. XMSs with average DPs of 15.4-24.3 have similarly sufficient capacities to solubilize curcumin. The solubility of curcumin was improved 180-fold by the addition of 50 %, w/v, XMSs, which yielded a clear yellow liquid. Our findings indicated that XMSs were a promising added-value agent in foods and pharmaceuticals for the oral intake of curcumin.

Nonreducing terminal chimeric isomaltomegalosaccharide and its integration with azoreductase for the remediation of soil-contaminated lipophilic azo dyes.

Lipophilic azo dyes are practically water-insoluble, and their dissolution by organic solvents and surfactants is harmful to biological treatment with living cells and enzymes. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a newly synthesized nonreducing terminal chimeric isomaltomegalosaccharide (N-IMS) as a nontoxic solubilizer of four simulated lipophilic azo dye wastes for enzymatic degradation. N-IMS bearing a helical α-(1 â†’ 4)-glucosidic segment derived from a donor substrate α-cyclodextrin was produced by a coupling reaction of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase. Inclusion complexing by N-IMS overcame the solubility issue with equilibrium constants of 1786-242 M-1 (methyl yellow > ethyl red > methyl red > azo violet). Circular dichroism spectra revealed the axial alignment of the aromatic rings in the N-IMS cavity, while UV-visible absorption quenching revealed that the azo bond of methyl yellow was particularly induced. Desorption of the dyes from acidic and neutral soils was specific to aqueous organic over alkali extraction. The dissolution kinetics of the incorporated dyes followed a sigmoid pattern facilitating the subsequent decolorization process with azoreductase. It was demonstrated that after soil extraction, the solid dyes dissolved with N-IMS assistance and spontaneously digested by coupled azoreductase/glucose dehydrogenase (for a cofactor regeneration system) with the liberation of the corresponding aromatic amine.

Physicochemical functionality of chimeric isomaltomegalosaccharides with α-(1 → 4)-glucosidic segments of various lengths.

Isomaltomegalosaccharide (IMS) is a long chimeric glucosaccharide composed of α-(1 â†’ 6)- and α-(1 â†’ 4)-linked segments at nonreducing and reducing ends, respectively; the hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of these segments are expected to lead to bifunctionality. We enzymatically synthesized IMS with average degrees of polymerization (DPs) of 15.8, 19.3, and 23.5, where α-(1 â†’ 4)-segments had DPs of 3, 6, and 9, respectively. IMS exhibited considerably higher water solubility than maltodextrin because of the α-(1 â†’ 6)-segment and an identical resistance to thermal degradation as short dextran. Interaction of IMS with a fluorescent probe of 2-p-toluidinylnaphthalene-6-sulfonate demonstrated that IMS was more hydrophobic than maltodextrin, where the degree of hydrophobicity increased as DP of α-(1 â†’ 4)-segment increased (9 > 6 > 3). Fluorescent pyrene-estimating polarity of IMS was found to be similar to that of methanol or 1-butanol. The bifunctional IMS enhanced the water solubility of quercetin-3-O-glucoside and quercetin: the solubilization of less-soluble bioactive substances is beneficial in carbohydrate industry.

A practical approach to producing isomaltomegalosaccharide using dextran dextrinase from Gluconobacter oxydans ATCC 11894.

Dextran dextrinase (DDase) catalyzes formation of the polysaccharide dextran from maltodextrin. During the synthesis of dextran, DDase also generates the beneficial material isomaltomegalosaccharide (IMS). The term megalosaccharide is used for a saccharide having DP = 10-100 or 10-200 (DP, degree of polymerization). IMS is a chimeric glucosaccharide comprising α-(1 → 6)- and α-(1 → 4)-linked portions at the nonreducing and reducing ends, respectively, in which the α-(1 → 4)-glucosyl portion originates from maltodextrin of the substrate. In this study, IMS was produced by a practical approach using extracellular DDase (DDext) or cell surface DDase (DDsur) of Gluconobacter oxydans ATCC 11894. DDsur was the original form, so we prepared DDext via secretion from intact cells by incubating with 0.5% G6/G7 (maltohexaose/maltoheptaose); this was followed by generation of IMS from various concentrations of G6/G7 substrate at different temperatures for 96 h. However, IMS synthesis by DDext was limited by insufficient formation of α-(1 → 6)-glucosidic linkages, suggesting that DDase also catalyzes elongation of α-(1 → 4)-glucosyl chain. For production of IMS using DDsur, intact cells bearing DDsur were directly incubated with 20% G6/G7 at 45 °C by optimizing conditions such as cell concentration and agitation efficiency, which resulted in generation of IMS (average DP = 14.7) with 61% α-(1 → 6)-glucosyl content in 51% yield. Increases in substrate concentration and agitation efficiency were found to decrease dextran formation and increase IMS production, which improved the reaction conditions for DDext. Under modified conditions (20% G6/G7, agitation speed of 100 rpm at 45 °C), DDext produced IMS (average DP = 14.5) with 65% α-(1 → 6)-glucosyl content in a good yield of 87%. KEY POINTS: • Beneficial IMS was produced using thermostabilized DDase. • Optimum conditions for reduced dextran formation were successfully determined. • A practical approach was established to provide IMS with a great yield of 87%.

Selection of Neighboring Group Participation Intermediates of Fully Acylated Donors around the Glycosylation Sites in Oligosaccharide Acceptors.

Stereo- and regioselective formation of glycosidic linkages is a challenging topic in oligosaccharide syntheses. The stereoselective construction of 1,2-trans-glycosides generally involves neighboring group participation, which is less successful when synthesizing ß-1,3-linked oligosaccharides. The combined steric effect of a 2-O-substituent and an aglycon moiety in acceptors increases the efficiency of glycosylation via neighboring group participation. This steric effect was reduced by using vicinal polyol acceptors and was demonstrated in the synthesis of 1,3-linked branched oligosaccharides.

Quantitative O-Glycomics by Microwave-Assisted ß-Elimination in the Presence of Pyrazolone Analogues.

O-Linked glycosylation of serine/threonine residues is a posttranslational modification of proteins and is essential for protein recognition and lipid functions on cell surfaces and within cells. The characterization of differently structured O-linked glycans (O-glycans) is particularly challenging because there is no known endoglycosidase for such groups. Therefore, chemical digestion approaches have been widely used; however, it is sometimes difficult to suppress unwanted side reactions. Recently, we reported a novel O-glycomics procedure using ß-elimination in the presence of pyrazolone analogues (BEP). In the present study, we describe a microwave (MW)-assisted BEP procedure for rapid and quantitative O-glycomic analysis. Following optimization of the reaction conditions, the MW-assisted BEP reaction substantially improved the recovery of total O-glycans from model glycoproteins (PSM) and the reaction time was reduced from 16 to 2 h. Combined with sequential solid-phase extractions, this MW-assisted BEP procedure enabled O-glycomic analyses of various biological samples.

Different molecular complexity of linear-isomaltomegalosaccharides and ß-cyclodextrin on enhancing solubility of azo dye ethyl red: towards dye biodegradation.

Intermolecular interaction of linear-type α-(1 → 6)-glucosyl megalosaccharide rich (L-IMS) and water-insoluble anionic ethyl red was firstly characterized in a comparison with inclusion complexation by cyclodextrins (CDs) to overcome the problem of poor solubility and bioavailability. Phase solubility studies indicated an enhancement of 3- and 9-fold over the solubility in water upon the presence of L-IMS and ß-CD, respectively. (1)H NMR and circular dichrosim spectra revealed the dye forms consisted of 1:1 stoichiometric inclusion complex within the ß-CD cavity, whereas they exhibited non-specific hydrophobic interaction, identified by solvent polarity changes, with L-IMS. The inclusion complex delivered by ß-CD showed an uncompetitive inhibitory-type effect to azoreductase, particularly with high water content that did not promote dye liberation. Addition of the solid dye dispersed into coupled-enzyme reaction system supplied by L-IMS as the dye solubilizer provided usual degradation rate. The dye intermission in series exhibited successful removal with at least 5 cycles was economically feasible.

Preparation and characterization of polymeric host molecules, ß-cyclodextrin linked chitosan derivatives having different linkers.

Reductive alkylation of the amino group of chitosan with ß-cyclodextrin (CD) aldehyde derivatives, i.e., 6-deoxy-6-(4-oxobutyramido)-ß-CD and 6-oxo-ß-CD, gave two ß-CD-linked chitosan derivatives with C4 (4-butylamido) and C0 linking arms, respectively. Degree of substitution (D.S.) of both C4-ß-CD and C0-ß-CD linked chitosan was controlled by the ratio of starting materials. The structures of the products were confirmed by (1)H and (13)C NMR and FT-IR spectra. Their inclusion properties of C4-ß-CD (D.S. 18%) and C0-ß-CD linked chitosan (D.S. 17%) with a fluorescent probe, 6-(p-toluidino)-2-napthalene-6-sulfonate (TNS) were investigated in acetate buffer (pH 4.3) at 25°C. Continuous variation of Job's method revealed that the stoichiometry of inclusion complex of C4-ß-CD linked chitosan-TNS was 1:1, whereas that of C0-ß-CD linked chitosan was not 1:1. The stability constant of C4-ß-CD linked chitosan determined by Benesi-Hildebrand plot was 2.3×10(3)M(-1). These results suggested that length of the linking arms between CD and chitosan is influenced on their inclusion property.

Biodecolorization of a food azo dye by the deep sea Dermacoccus abyssi MT1.1(T) strain from the Mariana Trench.

This study reports the characterization of the ability of Dermacoccus spp. isolated from the deepest point of the world's oceans for azo dye decolorization. A detailed investigation of Dermacoccus abyssi MT1.1(T) with respect to the azoreductase activity and enzymatic mechanism as well as the potential role of the bacterial strain for biocleaning of industrial dye baths is reported. Resting cells with oxygen-insensitive azoreductase resulted in the rapid decolorization of the polysulfonated dye Brilliant Black BN (BBN) which is a common food colorant. The highest specific decolorization rate (vs) was found at 50 °C with a moderately thermal tolerance for over 1 h. Kinetic analysis showed the high rates and strong affinity of the enzymatic system for the dye with a Vmax = 137 mg/g cell/h and a Km = 19 mg/L. The degradation of BBN produces an initial orange intermediate, 8-amino-5-((4-sulfonatophenyl)diazenyl)naphthalene-2-sulfonic acid, identified by mass spectrometry which is later converted to 4-aminobenzene sulfonic acid. Nearly 80% of the maximum vs is possible achieved in resting cell treatment with the salinity increased up to 5.0% NaCl in reaction media. Therefore, this bacterial system has potential for dye decolorization bioprocesses occurring at high temperature and salt concentrations e.g. for cleaning dye-containing saline wastewaters.

Enantiomeric separation by MEKC using dodecyl thioglycoside surfactants: importance of an equatorially oriented hydroxy group at C-2 position in separation of dansylated amino acids.

To investigate the influence of stereogenic centers of sugar-based surfactants for enantiomeric separation, four n-dodecyl thioglycoside sulfates (CMC 1.5-3.6 mM) were chosen as micelle-forming surfactants and five dansylated hydrophobic amino acids were used as test analytes. The analytes were mutually separated by these micelles exhibiting almost similar migration times independent of the used surfactant. Baseline separations of all enantiomers were achieved using both beta-D-glucose and beta-D-galactose derivates that have an equatorially oriented hydroxy group at C-2 position. In contrast, the ability of enantioseparation was markedly decreased in the case of beta-D-mannose and 2-deoxy-beta-D-glucose derivatives. These results suggested that the structure of C-2 position of the sugar unit, namely presence of an equatorially oriented hydroxy group, is highly important for the enantiomeric separation of the chosen hydrophobic dansylated amino acids.

Biosorption of nonylphenol on dead biomass of Rhizopus arrhizus encapsulated in chitosan beads.

The nonylphenol (NP) biosorption and desorption potential for fungal biomass used under batch conditions was investigated using kinetics and isotherm models. Fungal biomass of Rhizopus arrhizus TISTR 3610 exhibited preferential uptake of NP, an endocrine disrupting chemicals. Sporangiospores, asexual spores, were immobilised in chitosan beads. The biosorption data of NP on the moist heat inactivated R. arrhizus-chitosan beads were analyzed using four popular adsorption isotherms and, by using non-linear least-regression with the solver add-in in Microsoft Excel, correlated in order with the Fritz-Schluender>Redlich-Peterson>Freundlich>Langmuir isotherms. The pseudo first-order kinetics was found to have the best fit with the experimental data. The diffusivity of NP in the R. arrhizus-chitosan beads was calculated using the shrinking core model, and the diffusivity values were in the ranges of 2.3736x10(-4)-1.8950x10(-4) cm(2) s(-1). Desorption to recover the adsorbed NP from the beads was performed in methanol and was best described using a pseudo second-order kinetic model.

Pre-activation of fully acetylated dodecyl thioglycosides with BSP-Tf2O led to efficient glycosylation at low temperature.

Fully acetylated dodecyl thioglycosides were found to be useful as glycosyl donors by activation with 1-benzenesulfinyl piperidine (BSP) and triflic anhydride (Tf(2)O) at -78 degrees C. The glycosyl acceptor was added to the reaction mixture at the same temperature to furnish various disaccharide, including the protected Lewis a (Le(a)) trisaccharide, in good yields.

Dodecyl thioglycopyranoside sulfates: novel sugar-based surfactants for enantiomeric separations by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography.

Four novel chiral anionic surfactants having carbohydrate hydrophilic heads, sodium n-dodecyl 1-thio-beta-D-glucopyranoside 6-hydrogen sulfate (6-betaGlcD), sodium n-dodecyl 1-thio-beta-L-glucopyranoside 6-hydrogen sulfate (6-betaGlcL), sodium n-dodecyl 1-thio-beta-L-fucopyranoside 3-hydrogen sulfate (3-betaFucL), and sodium n-dodecyl 1-thio-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside 3-hydrogen sulfate (3-alphaRhaL), were synthesized by selective sulfation of the corresponding thioglycosides. Their CMC determined by fluorescence using pyrene as a probe in water was 1.3-2.7 mM. These surfactants found to be useful as chiral selectors for enantiomeric separation by MEKC. The enantiomeric separation was optimized with respect to pH, buffer concentration, and surfactant concentration. Under the optimized conditions (50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 6.5, 30 mM surfactant, 20 kV), the enantiomeric separations of five dansylated amino acids (Dns-AAs) were achieved within approximately 20 min with the migration order of Val

Stereoselective tris-glycosylation to introduce beta-(1-->3)-branches into gentiotetraose for the concise synthesis of phytoalexin-elicitor heptaglucoside.

Dodecyl thioglycosides (3, 4, 5) were prepared by conventional transformation of d-glucose and used as new glycosyl donors for a short-step synthesis of phytoalexin elicitor heptaglucoside. A gentio-tetraoside derivative (6) having three hydroxyl groups was synthesized by NIS-TfOH promoted glycosylate in more than 90% yield followed by selective removal of temporary protective groups. Undesired formation of alpha-glycosides at the introduction of beta-(1-->3)-branches into gentio-oligosaccharides was found to be suppressed by use of a thiophilic reagent system, BSP (1-benzenesulfinyl piperidine)-Tf2O, giving the heptaglucoside in only four glycosylation steps.

Cyclodextrin-linked alginate beads as supporting materials for Sphingomonas cloacae, a nonylphenol degrading bacteria.

Calcium alginate beads covalently linked with alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD-alginate beads) were prepared and examined for their ability to serve as a supporting matrix for bacterial degradation of nonylphenol, an endocrine disruptor. Column chromatographic experiment using alpha-CD-alginate beads with diameter of 657+/-82 microm and with degree of CD substitution of 0.16 showed a strong affinity for nonylphenol adsorption. Although addition of alpha-CD (2.7-27 mM) to the culture broth of Sphingomonas cloacae retarded nonylphenol degradation, the immobilized bacteria on the CD-alginate beads were effective for the degradation. Batch degradation tests using the immobilized bacteria on alpha-CD-alginate-beads showed 46% nonylphenol recovery after 10-day incubation at 25+/-2 degrees C, and the recovery reached to about 17% when wide and shallow incubation tubes were used to facilitate uptake of the viscous liquid of nonylphenol on the surface of the medium. Scanning electron microscopic photographs revealed that multiplicated bacteria was present both on the surface and inside the beads and the matrix of CD-alginate was stable and suitable during 10-day incubation.

6-Amino-6-deoxy-chitosan. Sequential chemical modifications at the C-6 positions of N-phthaloyl-chitosan and evaluation as a gene carrier.

The C-6 positions of chitosan were successively modified in a highly regioselective manner. The starting material, N-phthaloyl-chitosan, was successfully converted into the corresponding 6-deoxy-6-halo derivatives by reaction with N-halosuccinimides and triphenylphosphine in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. The resulting chloride and bromide derivatives were then substituted with azido groups by reaction with sodium azide at 120 and 80 degrees C, respectively. The azido groups were then reduced to amines via formation of the triphenylphosphinimine intermediate followed by hydrolysis using aqueous hydrazine, which also led to the removal of the N-phthaloyl groups at the C-2 positions. This sequence gave 6-amino-6-deoxy-chitosan, which, unlike chitosan, is soluble in water at neutral pH. The synthesized 6-amino-6-deoxy-chitosan derivative was evaluated as a gene carrier, and the transfection efficiency for COS-1 cells was shown to be superior to chitosan. In addition, the cytotoxicity was similar to chitosan.

DNA-based gels for oral delivery of probiotic bacteria.

A single-stranded DNA, readily extracted from industrial discarded salmon milt, was used to prepare hydrogels and complex gels by cross-linking with gelatin and kappa-carrageenan, for the oral delivery of probiotic bacteria. The complex gels showed a higher protective capability over the hydrogels for approximately one log scale. However, the hydrogels were more stable during storage at 4 degrees C. The Lactobacillus and Lactococcus due to protection of the hydrogels could better tolerate to acid than the Bifidobacterium. Furthermore, food-graded hydrogels were prepared and optimized to a similar protective capability for future applications.

DNA-collagen complex as a carrier for Ag+ delivery.

The possibility of DNA-collagen complex as a drug carrier was investigated. The interaction between DNA and silver ions was proved by CD spectra. The release property of the complex of DNA-Ag+ was measured through turbidity of PBS solution to indicate that silver ions could coordinate with base pairs of DNA, and be released slowly from the complex of DNA-Ag+. Collagen film, collagen-Ag+ film, DNA-collagen film and DNA-collagen-Ag+ film were prepared, and studied through SEM. Particles were found present in DNA-collagen-Ag+ film by SEM. These show that silver ions may be enclosed inside these particles, which led to the slow release of Ag+ to the environments. Two bacteria, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, were used to study the antibiotic properties of the complex films. The growth of E. coli and S. aureus could be inhibited by these films. It indicates that DNA-collagen may be a good drug carrier for the drug-controlled release.

Laminin-1 peptide-conjugated chitosan membranes as a novel approach for cell engineering.

Laminin, a major component of the basement membrane, has diverse biological activities. Recently, we identified various biologically active sequences on laminin-1 by using a large set of synthetic peptides. Chitosan, a polysaccharide, is biodegradable and has been used as a biomaterial. Here, we conjugated several biologically active laminin peptides onto chitosan membranes and measured the cell attachment activity of peptide-conjugated chitosan membranes with various cell types. The active laminin peptide-conjugated chitosan membranes promoted cell attachment with cell type specificity. A99 (AGTFALRGDNPQG)-chitosan membrane promoted cell attachment with well-organized actin stress fibers. This adhesion was inhibited by EDTA but not by heparin. AG73 (RKRLQVQLSIRT)-chitosan membrane promoted cell attachment with filopodia formation, and this adhesion was inhibited by heparin but not by EDTA. These data suggest that the A99-chitosan membrane interacted with an integrin cellular receptor and that the AG73-chitosan membrane promoted proteoglycan-mediated cell attachment, as previously reported. Furthermore, both AG73-chitosan and A99-chitosan membranes effectively promoted neurite outgrowth with PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. We conclude that conjugation on a chitosan membrane is applicable for testing quantitatively the biological activity of synthetic peptides and that these constructs have a potential ability to serve as bioadhesive materials for tissue regeneration and engineering.