Enzymatic deglycosilation and lipophilization of soy glycosides into value-added compounds for food and cosmetic applications

Soybean is one of the most important crops worldwide, being placed 8th on the chart of the most cultivated species. Its high level of production correlates with a huge amount of waste produced. These residues could be of great interest due to the presence of high value-added molecules. Among these compounds, glycosides (e.g., daidzin, genistin and glycitin) have been widely studied for their potent antioxidant properties. In the present work two parallel approaches have been followed: enzymatic hydrolysis to the corresponding aglycones and CaLB mediated glycoside lipophilization to obtain derivatives with increased bioavailability and/or stability for potential applications in food, nutraceutical and cosmetic sectors. Firstly, Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3) STAR was utilized to heterologously produce an extremophilic β-glucosidase from Halothermotrix orenii (HOR). This was then exploited for the production of aglycones starting from soybean glycosides. Subsequently, lipophilization reactions of daidzin with butanoic, hexanoic and octanoic acids have been carried out with Candida anctarctica lipase B under continuous flow conditions. This work contributes to evidence the possibility of using agri-food residues to produce high value-added compounds through eco-friendly biocatalytic methodologies.