Biotransformation of cladribine using a stabilized biocatalyst in calcium alginate beads

Cladribine is a nucleoside analogue widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for the treatment of several neoplasms, including hairy-cell leukemia among others. This compound has also shown efficacy in the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. In this work, a green bioprocess for cladribine biosynthesis using immobilized Arthrobacter oxydans was developed. The microorganism was stabilized by entrapment immobilization in the natural matrix alginate. Different reaction parameters were optimized obtaining a biocatalyst able to achieve cladribine bioconversion values close to 85% after 1 hr, the shortest reaction times reported so far. The developed bioprocess was successfully scaled-up reaching a productivity of 138 mg L−1 hr−1. Also, the biocatalyst was stable for 5 months in storage and in 96 hr at operational conditions.Fil: Lapponi, María José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología. Laboratorio de Investigación en Biotecnología Sustentable; ArgentinaFil: Britos, Claudia Noelia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología. Laboratorio de Investigación en Biotecnología Sustentable; ArgentinaFil: Rivero, Cintia Wanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología. Laboratorio de Investigación en Biotecnología Sustentable; ArgentinaFil: Trelles, Jorge Abel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología. Laboratorio de Investigación en Biotecnología Sustentable; Argentin