Recyclable β‑glucosidase by one-pot encapsulation with Cu-based MOFs for efficient production of baohuoside I from icariin

Baohuoside I, a valuable flavonoid derivative of Herba Epimedii , exhibits superior bioactivities compared to its precursor, icariin. The conversion of icariin to baohuoside I using β-glucosidase (β-G) is an efficient approach for industrial production. Herein, β-G was successfully immobilized into a porous materials metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) via a simple one-pot coprecipitation method. The β-G@MOF biocomposite exhibited high encapsulation efficiency and excellent tolerance to extreme pH, high temperature, organic solvent and glucose. Remarkably, β-G@MOF retained its full initial activity even at 200 mM glucose. The β-G@MOF has a lower K m value compared with the free β-G, indicating enhanced substrate affinity. A conversion of 99.8 % was achieved in the hydrolysis of icariin to baohuoside I within 2 h. Additionally, β-G@MOF exhibited significantly reusability, maintaining 70.5 % yield after eight cycles at 60 °C. This study provides a simple, efficient, and sustainable approach for industrial production of baohuoside I and has potential for hydrolyzing other poorly soluble flavonoids.