PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Mercè Torres

Publications and source records attributed to Mercè Torres.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Combining regio- and enantioselectivity of lipases for the preparation of (R)-4-chloro-2-butanol.

Preparation of 98% ee (R)-4-chloro-2-butanol was carried out by the enzymatic hydrolysis of chlorohydrin esters, using fungal resting cells and commercial enzymes. Hydrolyzes were carried out using lipases from Candida antarctica (Novozym 435), C. rugosa, Rhizomucor miehei (Lipozyme IM), Burkolia cepacia, and resting cells of Rhizopus oryzae and Aspergillus flavus. The influence of the enzyme, the solvent, the temperature, and the alkyl chain length on the selectivity of hydrolyzes of isomeric mixtures of chlorohydrin esters is described. Regioselectivity was higher than 95% for some of the tested lipases. Novozym 435 allowed preparation of the (R)-4-chloro-2-butanol after 15 min of reaction at 30-40 degrees C.

Aspergillus flavus↗

Parallel synthesis: a new approach for developing analytical internal standards. Application to the analysis of patulin by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The polymer-assisted reaction of 4-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2(5H)-one (4HM2F) with 21 carboxylic acids using polystyrene-carbodiimide (PS-carbodiimide) yielded an ester library. Four of the esters, (5-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-3-yl)methyl acetate (IS-1), (5-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-3-yl)methyl butyrate (IS-2), (5-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-3-yl)methyl 2-methylpropanoate (IS-3), and (5-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-3-yl)methyl chloroacetate (IS-4), were tested as internal standards for the quantification of patulin in apple juice by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the selected ion monitoring mode (GC-MS-SIM). The developed method combines an AOAC official extractive step and a GC-MS-SIM analysis. Using a chromatographic column containing trifluoropropylmethylpolysiloxane as the stationary phase and IS-1 as the internal standard, it was possible to perform an accurate and precise quantification of underivatizated patulin in apple juice at concentrations down to 6 microg/L. A detection limit of 1 microg/L was established.

Beverages↗

Endophytic fungi associated with Mediterranean plants as a source of mycelium-bound lipases.

A screening of endophytic fungi isolated from Mediterranean plants rendered a mycelium-bound lipase from a strain of Rhizopus oryzae that catalyzed the esterification of fatty acids in isooctane. The influence of various factors (water content, temperature, and pH) on ester synthesis was investigated. Catalytic activity was inversely correlated with water content. This enzyme was active over the entire pH range studied, from pH 3 to pH 8, and activity was maximal at pH 4 and pH 7. The enzyme was thermostable, with maximal activity at 60 degrees C.

Enzyme Stability↗