Cyclodextrins to Increase the Utility of Enzymes in Organic Synthesis

The use of cyclodextrins to facilitate enzyme-catalysed processes is reviewed. The effects of the host molecules are discussed with specific attention paid to increasing the availability of insoluble substrates, reducing substrate inhibition and limiting product inhibition. In each case, the effects of the cyclodextrins are interpreted in terms of the formation of inclusion complexes. It is thus demonstrated that cyclodextrins can be used in a rational fashion to increase the utility of enzymes in organic synthesis.