Facile synthesis of alkyl β-d-glucopyranosides from d-glucose and the corresponding alcohols using fruit seed meals

Various alkyl β-d-glucopyranosides were synthesized via a very simple procedure, by using Prunus dulcis (almond) kernel meal as an inexpensive biocatalyst. The P. dulcis (almond) meal is more robust than commercially available one and recyclable. Some popular fruits seed, including Prunus persica (peach), Prunus armeniaca (apricot), Malus pumila (apple), and Eriobotrya japonica (loquat), were tested as potential sources of the glucosidase in the form of meal. It was found that P. persica kernel meal and M. pumila seed meal not only had higher activity but also showed some complementary substrate specificities to that of almond β-glucosidase.