Evolution of Fructans in (Agave Sap) During the Plant Production Lifetime.

is the sap collected from , while is the result of the natural fermentation of . Despite its ancestral origin and numerous publications on production, little is known about the evolution and concentration of sugars and fructo-oligosaccharides in , either during its daily accumulation or through the agave production lifetime. In this study, we examined composition in three agave plants during their productive lifetime (4 to 9 months).

One-Pot Lipase-Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of (R)-(-)-N-Benzyl-3-(benzylamino)butanamide: The Effect of Solvent Polarity on Enantioselectivity.

The use of the solvent engineering has been applied for controlling the resolution of lipase-catalyzed synthesis of β-aminoacids via Michael addition reactions. The strategy consisted of the thermodynamic control of products at equilibrium using the lipase CalB as a catalyst. The enzymatic chemo- and enantioselective synthesis of ()-(-)--benzyl-3-(benzylamino)butanamide is reported, showing the influence of the solvent on the chemoselectivity of the -Michael addition and the subsequent kinetic resolution of the Michael adduct; both processes are catalyzed by CalB and both are influenced by the nature of the solvent medium.

Enhancement of the alcoholytic activity of alpha-amylase AmyA from Thermotoga maritima MSB8 (DSM 3109) by site-directed mutagenesis.

AmyA, an alpha-amylase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima, is able to hydrolyze internal alpha-1,4-glycosidic bonds in various alpha-glucans at 85 degrees C as the optimal temperature. Like other glycoside hydrolases, AmyA also catalyzes transglycosylation reactions, particularly when oligosaccharides are used as substrates. It was found that when methanol or butanol was used as the nucleophile instead of water, AmyA was able to catalyze alcoholysis reactions.