Enzymatic Synthesis of Alpha-Glucosyl-Baicalin Through Transglucosylation via Cyclodextrin Glucanotransferase in Water

The study investigated the enzymatic synthesis of α-Glucosyl-Baicalin, a flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which also promotes human dermal papilla cell proliferation and inhibits androgen receptor translocation, suggesting potential in treating androgenetic alopecia. Two types of cyclodextrin glucanotransferases (CGTases) were used to synthesize baicalin glucosides, with Toruzyme® proving more efficient and pH tolerant, achieving a molar yield of 79.5% compared to 60% with CGTase Amano. The best yields (98.9%) were achieved using 0.5% CGTase Toruzyme® at 70 °C. The water solubility of baicalin improved by 188 and 320 times with the glucosides BG1 and BG2 respectively. The antioxidant activity of both glucosides was slightly lower than baicalin, and the anti-glycation property was more affected by glucosylation. The study suggests that enzymatic glucosylation could enhance the water solubility of baicalin, potentially improving its therapeutic efficacy in treating conditions like androgenetic alopecia.