Enzyme‐Catalyzed Efficient Synthesis of Enantiomerically Pure ( <i>S</i> )‐ and ( <i>R</i> )‐n‐Butylphthalide

3-n-Butylphthalide (NBP) is an effective commercial drug for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, with its S-enantiomer, (S)-NBP, demonstrating clinical superiority over (R)-NBP. However, the stereoselective synthesis of both enantiomers with high enantiomeric excess (ee) presents significant challenges. Herein, a novel enzymatic strategy for the efficient and highly stereoselective synthesis of (S)- and (R)-NBPs under mild reaction conditions is presented. Specifically, two carbonyl reductases, SmCR<sub>K6</sub> and SsCR<sub>K1</sub>, are engineered to facilitate the asymmetric reduction of the prochiral aromatic ketone, 2-pentanoyl benzonitrile (1), followed by intramolecular cyclization to produce chiral NBPs. SmCR<sub>K6</sub> exhibits a catalytic activity of 0.46 Umg<sup>-</sup> <sup>1</sup> protein, which is 23-fold greater than that of its parent enzyme, SmCR<sub>V4</sub>, and the ee value of (S)-NBP increases from 2% to 94% (S). The catalytic activity of SsCR<sub>K1</sub> (9.46 U mg<sup>-1</sup> protein) is fourfold higher than that of its parent, SsCR, and the ee of (R)-NBP reachs 99%. In the preparative synthesis, (S)-NBP and (R)-NBP are generated continuously in a 3D microfluidic reactor, achieving space-time yields that are 9-fold and 30-fold higher, respectively, than those obtained in batch reactions. This continuous-flow enzymatic process has the potential for future scale-up for the industrial production of these important chiral drugs and similar derivatives.

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Journal
ChemBioChem
Published
2025-10-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202500482
Primary Topic
Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
Type
article
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article

Enzyme‐Catalyzed Efficient Synthesis of Enantiomerically Pure ( S )‐ and ( R )‐n‐Butylphthalide

Zhiwen Lu, Keming Song, Xiaoyan Zhang, Liliang Chu et al.
ChemBioChem
Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
article

Enzyme‐Catalyzed Efficient Synthesis of Enantiomerically Pure ( S )‐ and ( R )‐n‐Butylphthalide

Zhiwen Lu, Keming Song, Xiaoyan Zhang, Liliang Chu, Peiwen Liu, Jianing Li, Yunpeng Bai, Hui Wu
article en

Abstract

3-n-Butylphthalide (NBP) is an effective commercial drug for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, with its S-enantiomer, (S)-NBP, demonstrating clinical superiority over (R)-NBP. However, the stereoselective synthesis of both enantiomers with high enantiomeric excess (ee) presents significant challenges. Herein, a novel enzymatic strategy for the efficient and highly stereoselective synthesis of (S)- and (R)-NBPs under mild reaction conditions is presented. Specifically, two carbonyl reductases, SmCR<sub>K6</sub> and SsCR<sub>K1</sub>, are engineered to facilitate the asymmetric reduction of the prochiral aromatic ketone, 2-pentanoyl benzonitrile (1), followed by intramolecular cyclization to produce chiral NBPs. SmCR<sub>K6</sub> exhibits a catalytic activity of 0.46 Umg<sup>-</sup> <sup>1</sup> protein, which is 23-fold greater than that of its parent enzyme, SmCR<sub>V4</sub>, and the ee value of (S)-NBP increases from 2% to 94% (S). The catalytic activity of SsCR<sub>K1</sub> (9.46 U mg<sup>-1</sup> protein) is fourfold higher than that of its parent, SsCR, and the ee of (R)-NBP reachs 99%. In the preparative synthesis, (S)-NBP and (R)-NBP are generated continuously in a 3D microfluidic reactor, achieving space-time yields that are 9-fold and 30-fold higher, respectively, than those obtained in batch reactions. This continuous-flow enzymatic process has the potential for future scale-up for the industrial production of these important chiral drugs and similar derivatives.

ChemBioChemVol. 26(20)
East China University of Science and Technology (CN), Dalian University of Technology (CN), Northwest University (CN), Dalian University (CN), Shaanxi University of Science and Technology (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 61%
Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
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