Lipase-Catalyzed Production of 6-O-cinnamoyl-sorbitol from D-sorbitol and Cinnamic Acid Esters

Abstract

To overcome the poor properties of solubility and stability of cinnamic acid, cinnamate derivatives with sugar alcohols were produced using the immobilized<em> Candida antarctica</em> lipase with vinyl cinnamate and D-sorbitol as substrate at 45 °C. Immobilized<em> C. antarctica</em> lipase was found to synthesize 6-O-cinnamoyl-sorbitol and confirmed by HPLC and 1H-NMR and had a preference for vinyl cinnamate over other esters such as allyl-, ethyl-, and isobutyl cinnamate as co-substrate with D-sorbitol. Contrary to D-sorbitol, vinyl cinnamate, and cinnamic acid, the final product 6-O-cinnamoyl-sorbitol was found to have radical scavenging activity. This would be the first report on the biosynthesis of 6-Ocinnamoyl- sorbitol with immobilized enzyme from <em>C. antarctica</em>.