Application of Transgalactosylation Activity of β-Galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis for the Synthesis of Ascorbic Acid Galactoside

In view of a commonly known beneficial role and low stability of ascorbic acid, many efforts are constantly undertaken to produce its improved derivatives. This paper presents results on the synthesis of ascorbic acid galactoside using transgalactosylation properties of β-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis and lactose as a donor of galactosyl moiety. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected factors (concentration and molar ratio of substrates, amount of the enzyme preparation, pH of the solution, presence of different ions) on the course of transgalactosylation reaction. Research has shown that approx. 2.5% dry matter (d.m.; 12.7 g/L) of ascorbic acid galactoside is formed under favourable conditions (50% (w/v) substrates, sodium ascorbate and lactose at the molar ratio of 1.9:1, enzyme dose of 28,600 U/100 g lactose, pH = 7.0). The addition of Mg(2+) or K(+) ions to the reaction medium caused an increase in the final product content (even up to approx. 3.4% d.m., 17.2 g/L), while Na(+) or Mn(2+) had an adverse impact on the yield. The gathered data may be valuable for cosmetic or food industry.