Title:Chemoenzymatic Synthesis and Function of Chitin Derivatives
Volume: 26
Issue: 29
Author(s): Makoto Ogata*
Affiliation:
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemistry, National Institute of Technology, Fukushima College, 30 Nagao, Iwaki, Fukushima 970-8034,Japan
Keywords:
Chitin, chitooligosaccharide, N-acetylglucosamine, chemoenzymatic synthesis, chitin derivatives, inhibitor, enzyme assay.
Abstract: Chitin, abundant biomass found in crab shells and other marine life, has wide applications in the production
of food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Our recent studies have focused on the development of new
functional materials by derivatizing chitin oligosaccharides and monosaccharides. For example, we have prepared
various derivatives by chemoenzymatic synthesis using N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) or chitin oligosaccharide
prepared from chitin as starting materials. First, we have achieved the total synthesis of two secondary metabolites
(furanodictine A and B) with neuronal differentiation-inducing activity on PC12 cells by using a simple heatinduced
structural transformation of GlcNAc and esterification reaction. Second, we synthesized both a novel
inhibitor that has facilitated a re-examination of the reaction mechanism of hen egg-white lysozyme, and a new
substrate for assaying lysozyme activity by using chitin oligosaccharides as raw materials. Thus, the development
of new materials by simple derivatization of chitin mono- or oligo-saccharides is paving the way for effective use
of chitin.
