The synthesis of amphipathic prodrugs of 1,2-diol drugs with saccharide conjugates by high regioselective enzymatic protocol Original Research Article

A facile, high regioselective enzymatic synthesis approach for the preparation of amphipathic prodrugs with saccharides of mephenesin and chlorphenesin was developed. Firstly, transesterification of two drugs with divinyl dicarboxylates with different carbon chain length was performed under the catalysis of Candida antarctica lipase acrylic resin and Lipozyme® in anhydrous acetone at 50 °C, respectively. A series of lipophilic derivatives with vinyl groups of mephenesin and chlorphenesin were prepared. The influences of different organic solvents, enzyme sources, reaction time, and the acylation reagents on the synthesis of vinyl esters were investigated. And then, protease-catalyzed high regioselective acylation of d-glucose and d-mannose with vinyl esters of mephenesin and chlorphenesin gave drug–saccharide derivatives in good yields. The studies of lipophilicity and hydrolysis in vitro of prodrugs verified that drug–saccharide derivatives had amphipathic properties, and both lipophilic and amphipathic drug derivatives had obvious controlled release characteristics.