Approaches to improve the solubility and availability of progesterone biotransformation by Mucor racemosus

作者：Mohamed Sayeda Saleh^*; El Refai Abdel Monem Hassan; Hashem Abdel Gawad Mohamed; Ali Heba Ahmed

来源：Biocatalysis and Biotransformation, 2014, 32(3): 141-150.

DOI：10.3109/10242422.2014.894983

• Progesterone
• beta-cyclodextrin
• Mucor racemosus
• solubility
• biotransformation

Substrate solubility in steroid biotransformation is critical for improving the biotransformation of hydrophobic substrates. The present investigation describes the effect of some organic solvents, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80; surfactant) and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), on the biotransformation of progesterone (PR) by Mucor racemosus. PR was transformed to three derivatives namely; 11 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (11 alpha-HP) as main product (I), 4-pregnen-18-al-11 beta, 21-diol-3, 20-dione (Aldosterone) (II) and 20-hydroxy-pregnan-18-oic acid (III) as minor products. Among the tested organic solvents, methanol gave the highest total bioconversion effi ciency (T. B. E) of 75.0 +/- 2.49%. Tween 80 improved PR biotransformation up to 81.56 +/- 2.29%, while with an optimum molar ratio of PR to beta-CD of 1:1, the TBE was increased to 87.15 +/- 2.17% of the added substrate in presence of beta-CD. The interaction between PR and beta-CD in the inclusion complex was assessed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and infrared (IR) spectra.

• 出版日期2014-6