Biocatalysis is also widely applicable for the enhancement of bioprocess
productivity, selectivity of target reactions, and production of valuable chemicals,
pharmaceutical ingredients, precursors, and key intermediates. The vast majority of
such enzymes are of microbial origin and include dehydrogenases, oxygenases,
hydrolases, transferases, and lyases. These enzymes may introduce minor molecule
changes, such as the insertion of a hydroxyl or keto function or the saturation or
desaturation of a complex cyclic structure. Microorganisms and cell suspension
cultures of the plant are applied in biotransformations of steroidal drugs to generate
high regio-and stereo-selective products. Studies of steroid modifications catalyzed by
microbial or plant cell cultures represent a well-established research approach and
methodology in biotechnology. Bioconversion can occur at a position of the steroid
molecule that is rarely accessible to chemical agents; the molecule can function
stereospecifically, and several reactions can be completed in a single biotechnological
step.
Keywords: Hydroxylation, Microbial Transformation, Plant Cell Cultures, Steroidal Drugs, Whole-Cell Biocatalysis.
