Biotransformation technique

In the next few sections, several case studies will be discussed to illustrate the different types of xenobiotics at various contaminated sites, the ways of enhancing their biodegradation/biotransformation techniques, and the verification of the results. 

In summary, utilizing biotransformation techniques, eight out of the 28 carbon atoms in MFA were successfully hydroxylated. In Fig. (14), arrows indicate the sites of hydroxylation. It is noteworthy that despite the hindered nature of C14, cultures UC 5059, UC 11141, and UC 11144 were able to introduce a hydroxyl to give 23 in a 10-15% yield. 

Biotechnological transformation is powerful tool to effectively utilize a broad variety of plant oils, with the aim to modify their structure for the production of new lipid-based materials with demanded properties and functions. One method of plant oil transformation is based on the direct utilization by microorganisms. Employed oils can be converted to aimed compounds by submerged cultivation or oils, and/or oleaginous plant materials can be utilized during solid state fermentation to useful bioproducts enriched with demanded microbial products. Another biotransformation technique covers the enzymatic modification of oil components to structured lipids with biological properties. 

There are a number of in vitro and in vivo biotransformation techniques available to generate metabolites. The in vitro techniques include the use of subcellular fractions prepared from cells that mediate drug metabolism, intact cell-based systems, intact organs, and isolated expressed enzymes. In vivo methods involve the use of biological fluids (plasma, bile, urine, etc.) obtained from laboratory animals or humans dosed with the parent molecule. Microbial methods and biomimetic systems based on metalloporphyrin chemistry can also be used as bioreactors to produce metabolites. 

Ephedrine is an alkaloid, a sympathomimetic amine with molecular formula Cjo Hi5 NOi, a molecular mass of 165.2, and the stmctural name (IR, 25)-2-methylamino-l-phenylpropan-l-ol. This bitter colorless or white solid-crystal is completely soluble in water, alcohol, chloroform, ether, and glycerol. Ephedrine is also produced by chemical synthesis and there is significant documentation of commercial ephedrine production using microbial biotransformation techniques [42]. Ephedrine has a structure close to methamphetamines, and its stimulant actions are comparable to epinephrine (adrenaline), a hormone produces by the adrenal glands that enhances heart rate and constriction of blood vessels in high-stress situations. Medicinal use of ephedrine began around 3000 B.C with the Chinese from md hudng, but its isolation was first reported in 1855 and its pharmaceutical application started in 1930 [22]. Studies on ephedrine s molecular structure show that two asynunetric carbon atoms are involved in ephedrine s molecular skeleton therefore, four optically active stereoisomers forms naturally occur as follows (IR, 2S)-(—)-ephedrine, (IS, 2R)-(+)-ephedrine, (IR, 2R)-( )-pseudoephedrine, (IS, 2S)-(+)-pseudoephedrine (Fig. 27.2). 

Abstract Alkaloids are very much important molecules, not only for chemical reasons but also because of their diverse biological activities. Up to now several reviews have been published explaining the use of biotransformation or microbial transformation techniques to modify alkaloids, which added several advantages over the classical chemical transformation systems. This chapter is a critical update of the microbial transformations reported in the last couple of years, targeting novel biocatalysts from microbes. 

Applications of sol-gel-processed interphase catalysts. Chemical Reviews, 102, 3543-3578. Pierre, A.C. (2004) The sol-gel encapsulation of enzymes. Biocatalysis and Biotransformation, 22, 145-170. Shchipunov, Yu.A. (2003) Sol-gel derived biomaterials of silica and carrageenans. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 268, 68-76. Shchipunov Yu.A. and Karpenko T.Yu. (2004) Hybrid polysaccharide-silica nanocomposites prepared by the sol-gel technique. Langmuir, 20, 3882-3887. 

See also Biotransformations Microbial oxidations Microbial reductions applications of, 76 396-399 biocatalyst selection in, 76 404-409 biocatalysts in, 76 409-414 for drug metabolite production, 76 398-399 further advances in, 76 414 in hydrolysis, 76 400-401 multiphase reactions in, 777 412-414 scale-up of, 76 414 systematic studies of, 76 398 technique overview for, 76 403-414 timing of substrate additions in, 76 411-412 uses for, 777 400-403 Microbial waxes, 26 203 Microbiocides, triorganotins as, 24 817 Microbiological culture media, agar in, 73 68... 

Product extraction from large volumes of fermentation broth can be complex, requiring large volumes of organic solvent or solid-phase extraction techniques, which can sometimes greatly reduce or even cancel out the benefits of the biotransformation itself, such as shorter route and environmentally benign conditions. 

Attempts have been made to expand the technique to include the analysis of soil biotransformations f23.29V While the hydrodynamic nature and physical structure of soil systems vary widely and are difficult to establish with certainty, two limiting conditions may be specified. The first is where the soil particles are suspended and all phases are well-mixed. This case is not typically found in nature, but is found in various types of engineered soil-slurry reactors. The reactors currently used in our systems experiments include continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) operated to minimize soil washout. 

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