Eco-efficient biphasic enzymatic hydrolysis for the green production of rare baohuoside I

Baohuoside I, a rare secondary glycoside from Epimedii Folium, has anti-osteoporosis and other pharmacological effects. In addition, it exhibits improved bioactivities compared with its original glycoside icariin. Conventional methods for the production of baohuoside I, such as acid hydrolysis, exhibit very low efficiency with serious pollution and substantial byproducts. The aim of this study was to develop an eco-efficient biphasic enzymatic hydrolysis system for the green production of rare baohuoside I. β-glucanase was selected to hydrolyze icariin and showed better performance than β-glucosidase. The biphasic system was constructed using HAc-NaAc buffer (pH 4.5) containing β-glucanase/icariin (C_icariin = 100 mg/mL; 1:1, w/w) and propyl acetate (1:2, v/v), and the hydrolysis was performed at 60℃ for 6 h. The hydrolysis capacity of icariin in the system was largely increased from 0.5 mg/mL to 100 mg/mL. The conversion ratio of icariin was greater than 99% in a 100-fold scale-up pilot test, demonstrating its strong potential for industrial applications. Furthermore, a process flow and production plant were designed to produce 1 ton of baohuoside I annually, and the profit would be approximately 4.5-fold its total cost. Biphasic enzymatic hydrolysis is an eco-efficient technology to produce baohuoside I and represents a promising method in the pharmaceutical industry.