Coenzyme-dependent carbohydrate conversions with industrial potential.

Carbohydrates represent a promising raw material for enzyme technological processes because they are renewable and mostly low in cost. At present, though, only hydrolysis and isomerization reactions are used for enzymatic carbohydrate conversions on an industrial scale. For instance, the enzymatic liquefaction and saccharification of starch is well known. Some other carbohydrates can possibly be used as substrates for further enzymatic transformation (e.g. isomerose; lactose, fructose, or gulcose). They also can be prepared enzymatically, thus replacing chemical processes (for sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, or even ascorbic acid) or fermentative procedures (for the production of L-sorbose from sorbitol or gluconic acid from glucose). Furthermore, new carbohydrate-based such as lactitol or the disaccharide, trehalose, may be obtained by enzyme technology.