Heavy metals in soil significantly threaten human health, and their remediation is essential. Among the various techniques used, phytoremediation is one of the safest, most innovative, and effective. In recent years, the use of biodegradable chelators to assist plants in improving their remediation efficiency has gained popularity. These biodegradable chelators aid in the transformation of metal ions or metalloids, thereby facilitating their mobilization and uptake by plants. Developed countries are increasingly adopting biodegradable chelators for phytoremediation, with a growing emphasis on green manufacturing and technological innovation in the chelating agent market. Therefore, it is crucial to gain a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms and market prospects of biodegradable chelators for phytoremediation. This review focuses on elucidating the uptake, translocation, and detoxification mechanisms of chelators in plants. In this study, we focused on the effects of biodegradable chelators on the growth and environmental development of plants treated with phytoremediation agents. Finally, the potential risks associated with biodegradable chelator-assisted phytoremediation are presented in terms of their availability and application prospects in the market. This study provides a valuable reference for future research in this field.

Testosterone (TS) is an important androgen drug and a precursor of steroid drug synthesis. Ketoreductase 2 (KR-2) (GenBank accession no. ABP64403.1) is observed to stereo-selectively catalyze the bioreduction of 4-androstene-3,17-dione (4-AD) to testosterone and contribute to the regeneration of NADH using isopropanol as a co-substrate. The Km value of KR-2 was 2.22 mmol/L with 4-AD, and the optimal pH was 6.5–7.0. The enzyme is stable and demonstrates relatively high-level enzyme activity at 40 °C. Acetone significantly inhibits this activity. This inhibition was overcome using an intermittent vacuum during the reaction process. Finally, the amount of TS reached 65.42 g/L after a 52 h reaction with 65.8 g/L 4-AD, 10% isopropanol, and 2 g/L β–NAD⁺ at 40 °C, with a conversion rate of 98.73%. A total of 6.15 g of TS was obtained from 6.58 g of 4-AD after the reaction and purification; the HPLC purity was 99.82%, and the overall yield was 92.81%. This enzyme provides a promising route for the green biosynthesis of testosterone for industrial applications.

A method was developed for the determination of N, N'-ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) in bioconversion samples by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). An InertSustain AQ-C-18 column (250 mmx4.6 mm, 5 mu m) was used in the analysis. The mobile phase was 25% (v/v) methanol with 1.0 g/L Cu (CO2CH3)(2)center dot H2O, 2.0 g/L tetrabutylammonium hydroxide, and the pH was adjusted to 2.80 with phosphoric acid. The flow rate of the mobile phase was 1.0 mL/min, and the column temperature was set at 30 degrees C The detection wavelength was 254 nm. EDDS, fumaric acid, citric acid, malic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were separated from one another within 8 min. EDDS showed good linearity in the range of 0.06-0.6 g/L. About 0.25 g/L EDDS was detected in the biosynthesis reaction solution cata. lyzed by recombinant EDDS. lyase, while 36.56 g/L malic acid was formed as the by-product from fumaric acid. The catalytic activity of the enzyme was confirmed in the hydrolysis of 10 g/L EDDS, which produced 3.05 g/L malic acid in 3 h. This analytical method is simple, rapid, sensitive, reliable, and suitable for the analysis in the research of EDDS bioconversion process.

(R)-3-Isobutylglutarate monoamide (R-IBM) is a key intermediate in the synthesis of the analgesic drug pregabalin. Recently, the imidase BpIH derived from