Biosynthesis of lactones from diols mediated by an artificial flavin

Background: Lactones are important compounds in the field of medicine, material and chemical industry. One of the promising accesses to these flexible scaffolds is NAD(P)⁺-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases-catalyzed oxidative lactonization of diols, which relies on the construction of an efficient NAD(P)⁺ regeneration system. Results: In this study, a novel system combining horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH) with the synthetic bridged flavin cofactor was established for biosynthesis of lactones. The reaction conditions of this system were optimized and a variety of lactones including chiral lactones were efficiently obtained from various diols. Compared to the previously reported NAD(P)⁺-regeneration systems, this system showed better regeneration efficiency and product yield. A two-phase system was further applied to solve the problem of product inhibition, and 80% yield was obtained at the condition of 300 mM substrate. Conclusions: This study provides an efficient method to synthesis of lactones from diols under mild conditions. We believe this system will be a promising alternative to promote the synthesis of other valuable compounds. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]