Cholesterol Biotransformation to produce Cholest-4-ene-3, 6-dione and Cholest-4-en-3-one Employing Organic Solvents:Focus on Burkholderia cepacia

Abstract

Cholesterol biotransformation is a very crucial process industrially, as it guarantees the production of high medically/clinicallyvalued products in fewer uncomplicated steps, compared with the classical or traditional synthesis. The biotransformation of cholesterol also yields a wide range of products that can be useful in many ways, even in the pharmaceutical industries. Theenzymes from the microbes used to facilitate this transformation may have the capacity to be reused. This paper focuses on theuse of B. cepacia to produce two main products; cholest-4-en-3-one and cholest-4-ene-3,6-dione. This paper also centers attentionon the use of organic solvents and gives recommendations for the development of bioreactors to give room for even highly useful but harmful organic solvents to be employed without harmful consequences to the environment or the users. Keywords: Cholest-4-en-3-one, organic solvents, Burkholderia cepacia, Cholesterol transformation, sterols