Enzymatic technology for the production of high added value oligomers from natural antioxidants

Abstract

The undeniable shift to worldwide aged population and the increasing attraction of consumers towards natural products has induced a growing demand of polyphenolic antioxidants. However, the applicability of these substances is often hindered by their scarce bioavailability. The enzymatic polymerization of these compounds has been proven an efficient method leading to products with enhanced aqueous solubility. The present PhD thesis focuses on the oligomerization of natural antioxidants with pharmacological and nutraceutical properties, catalyzed by fungal enzymes. The achieved results allowed to identify the operational parameters affecting the properties of the obtained oligomers, as well as to perform a preliminary environmental and economic assessment of the reuse of the biocatalyst in biocompatible reaction media.