Biocatalysis and biotransformation in Brazil: An overview.

This review presents the recent research in biocatalysis and biotransformation in Brazil. Several substrates were biotransformed by fungi, bacteria and plants. Biocatalytic deracemization of secondary alcohols, oxidation of sulfides, sp(3) CH hydroxylation and epoxidation of alkenes were described. Chemo-enzymatic resolution of racemic alcohols and amines were carried out with lipases using several substrates containing heteroatoms such as silicon, boron, selenium and tellurium. Biotransformation of nitriles by marine fungi, hydrolysis of epoxides by microorganisms of Brazilian origin and biooxidation of natural products were described. Enzymatic reactions under microwave irradiation, continuous flow, and enzymatic assays using fluorescent probes were reported.

Physicochemical characterization and analgesic effect of inclusion complexes of essential oil from Hyptis pectinata L. Poit leaves with ß-cyclodextrin.

The formation of inclusion complexes of Hyptis pectinata essential oil (EOHP), with potent activities such as anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory, among others, with ß -cyclodextrin (ß-CD), was obtained by slurry (SC) and paste procedures (PC). The gas chromatography coupled to the mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis demonstrated a total of 36.4% monoterpenes and 63.6% sesquiterpenes in the EOHP. The major components of EOHP were identified as (E)- caryophyllene (54.07%). The analysis of samples (PM, PC and SC) by GC/MS involved the surface and the total extracted oils. The GC/MS results suggested important differences between in SC and PC methods indicating the complexation of mono and sesquiterpenoids in different ratios. Furthermore, the thermal analysis techniques suggests the complexation, especially in SC, which show a thermogravimetry/derivative thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) peak at 140-270ºC, probably related to oil loss. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed reduction size of the samples mainly in the SC product. Additionally, EOHP/ ß-CD improves pharmacological profile of EOHP alone in formalin-induced pain protocol in mice.