Enzymatic extraction and transformation of glucovanillin to vanillin from vanilla green pods

Glucovanillin was extracted from green pods and simultaneously transformed to vanillin by a combination of enzyme activities involving cell wall degradation and glucovanillin hydrolysis. The reaction is best carried out with 47.5% v/v aqueous ethanol solution during 8 h at 70 degrees C, in a two-step enzymatic reaction using Viscozyme followed by Celluclast, two commercial enzymatic products containing mainly pectinase and cellulase activities, respectively. The extractive reaction proceeded with high efficiency with an amount of extracted vanillin 3.13 times higher than the one obtained with the Soxhlet method. The classical curing/extraction process results in 1.1-1.8 g of vanillin/100 g of dry pods. It is concluded that the enzymatic reaction may substitute the microbial process involved in tissue fermentation previous to vanillin extraction with the simultaneous hydrolysis of glucovanillin.