Preparation of octyl β-D-xylobioside and xyloside by xylanase-catalyzed direct transglycosylation reaction of xylan and octanol

1-Octyl β-D-xylobioside and xyloside were prepared by direct transglycosylation reaction of xylan and 1-octanol using purified xylanase from Aureobasidium pullulans. 2-Ethylhexyl β-D-xylobioside and xyloside were also prepared in the same way. The maximum yields of 2-ethylhexyl β-D-xylobioside and 2-ethylhexyl β-D-xyloside were 110 and 54 mg/g xylan, respectively. The proposed mechanism for production of octyl xylobioside and xyloside involved the reaction of xylan and octanol by xylanase to produce octyl xylobioside and xylotrioside, the latter of which was simultaneously hydrolyzed by xylanase into octyl xyloside and xylobiose.