coniferyl-alcohol and vanillin

During the past few years, the production of natural value-added compounds from microbial sources has gained tremendous importance. Due to an increase in consumer demand for natural products, various food and pharmaceutical industries are continuously in search of novel metabolites obtained from microbial biotransformation. The exploitation of microbial biosynthetic pathways is both feasible and cost effective in the production of natural compounds. The environmentally compatible nature of these products is one major reason for their increasing demand. Novel approaches for natural product biogeneration will take advantage of the current studies on biotechnology, biochemical pathways and microbiology. The interest of the scientific community has shifted toward the use of microbial bioconversion for the production of valuable compounds from natural substrates. The present review focuses on eugenol biotransformation by microorganisms resulting in the formation of various value-added products such as ferulic acid, coniferyl alcohol, vanillin and vanillic acid.

Topics: Benzaldehydes; Biological Products; Biotechnology; Biotransformation; Coumaric Acids; Eugenol; Phenols; Vanillic Acid

This study was carried out to better understand the characteristic modification mechanisms of monolignols by enzyme system of Abortiporus biennis and to induce the degradation of monolignols. Degradation and polymerization of monolignols were simultaneously induced by A. biennis. Whole cells of A. biennis degraded coniferyl alcohol to vanillin and coniferyl aldehyde, and degraded sinapyl alcohol to 2,6-dimethoxybenzene- 1,4-diol, with the production of dimers. The molecular weight of monolignols treated with A. biennis increased drastically. The activities of lignin degrading enzymes were monitored for 24 h to determine whether there was any correlation between monolignol biomodification and ligninolytic enzymes. We concluded that complex enzyme systems were involved in the degradation and polymerization of monolignols. To degrade monolignols, ascorbic acid was added to the culture medium as a reducing agent. In the presence of ascorbic acid, the molecular weight was less increased in the case of coniferyl alcohol, while that of sinapyl alcohol was similar to that of the control. Furthermore, the addition of ascorbic acid led to the production of various degraded compounds: syringaldehyde and acid compounds. Accordingly, these results demonstrated that ascorbic acid prevented the rapid polymerization of monolignols, thus stabilizing radicals generated by enzymes of A. biennis. Thereafter, A. biennis catalyzed the oxidation of stable monolignols. As a result, ascorbic acid facilitated predominantly monolignols degradation by A. biennis through the stabilization of radicals. These findings showed outstanding ability of A. biennis to modify the lignin compounds rapidly and usefully.

Topics: Acrolein; Ascorbic Acid; Basidiomycota; Benzaldehydes; Culture Media; Lignin; Molecular Structure; Molecular Weight; Phenols; Phenylpropionates; Polymerization; Reducing Agents

Stable isotope-labeled precursors were synthesized for an analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to elucidate the biosynthetic flow of capsaicinoids, capsinoids, and capsiconinoids. [1'-(13)C][5-(2)H]-Vanillin was prepared by the condensation of guaiacol with [(13)C]-chloroform and a D(2)O treatment. Labeled vanillylamine, vanillyl alcohol, ferulic acid, and coniferyl alcohol were prepared from the labeled vanillin. The labeled vanillylamine was converted to labeled capsaicinoid in a crude enzyme solution extracted from pungent Capsicum fruits.

Topics: Benzaldehydes; Benzyl Alcohols; Benzylamines; Capsaicin; Capsicum; Carbon Isotopes; Chemistry, Organic; Chloroform; Chromatography, Liquid; Coumaric Acids; Deuterium Oxide; Guaiacol; Isotope Labeling; Phenols; Plant Extracts; Prodrugs; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Strain NL15-2K was isolated from soil by screening for bacteria capable of catabolizing lignin-related aromatic acids. This isolate was identified as a Streptomyces sp. on the basis of morphology and an analysis of its 16S rRNA gene sequence. NL15-2K utilized caffeic acid, coniferyl alcohol, ferulic acid, isovanillic acid, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin, and veratric acid as sole carbon sources.

Topics: Benzaldehydes; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biotechnology; Caffeic Acids; Carbon; Coumaric Acids; Hydroxybenzoates; Lignin; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Models, Chemical; Phenols; Streptomyces; Vanillic Acid

We previously found that a methanolic extract of the stems of Sambucus sieboldiana inhibited bone resorption in organ culture. In this study, we further fractionated the methanol extract guided by the activity towards bone resorption stimulated by parathyroid hormone (PTH) in vitro. The ethyl acetate fraction (EtOAc Fr.) of the methanolic extract inhibited PTH-stimulated bone resorption of neonatal mouse bones, and the inhibitory activity was more potent than those of other fractions. Oral administration of the EtOAc Fr. (50 and 100 mg/kg/d) to ovariectomized (OVX) rat prevented the decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar (L2-4) vertebra, indicating that the EtOAc Fr. is effective in vivo. Furthermore, the EtOAc Fr. (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg/d) decreased the serum calcium level elevated in low calcium dietary rats. The phenolic constituents of the EtOAc fraction were examined for their inhibitory effect on bone resorption stimulated by PTH in neonatal mouse bone. Among them, vanillic acid, vanillin and coniferyl alcohol showed significant inhibitory effects on bone resorption. Of the compounds examined, vanillic acid was found to have a significant inhibitory effect on the decrease of BMD in OVX mice. Therefore, the EtOAc Fr. of S. sieboldiana showed a suppressive effect on bone resorption in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the inhibitory effects of the EtOAc Fr. on bone resorption may be at least partly due to the inhibitory action of vanillic acid.

Topics: Acetates; Animals; Benzaldehydes; Bone Density; Bone Resorption; Calcium; Calcium, Dietary; Mice; Ovariectomy; Parathyroid Hormone; Phenols; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Solvents; Time Factors; Vanillic Acid