β-Glycosidases: An alternative enzyme based method for synthesis of alkyl-glycosides

Alkyl-glycosides and -polyglycosides are environment friendly, non-ionic surfactants with favourable properties like biodegradability and chemical stability. These are extensively used in personal care products, pharmaceutical preparations and membrane protein research. Commercial production of these surfactants is carried out in multiple steps through Fischer glycosylation reactions under extreme conditions in the presence of toxic catalysts. β-glycosidases provide an alternative enzymatic method for their synthesis as these are easily available from microbial systems and exhibit broad substrate specificity and high stereo-selectivity. This review highlights the recent progress in glycosidase catalyzed synthesis of alkyl-glycosides. Several reaction parameters that affect the overall reaction kinetics, such as, water activity, nature of the glycosyl donor, pH of the reaction medium, reaction time, temperature and source of enzyme are discussed. Strategies available to enhance the yield, including two-phase solvent systems and immobilization are described. Current challenges and future prospects in the biological routes of synthesis are also reviewed.