A new method of synthesis of alkyl beta-glycosides using sucrose as sugar donor.

Cellobiose phosphorylase from Clostridium thermocellum catalyzed the beta-anomer-selective synthesis of alkyl glucosides from cellobiose. Synthesis of alkyl beta-glucoside from inexpensive sucrose using cellobiose phosphorylase and sucrose phosphorylase from Pseudomonas saccharophilia was investigated. By combined use of these two phosphorylases, alkyl beta-glucoside was anomer-selectively synthesized from sucrose and alkyl alcohol.