Efficient production of raspberry ketone via ‘green’ biocatalytic oxidation

Pharmacological Exploration of Phenolic Compound: Raspberry Ketone-Update 2020

Raspberry ketone (RK) is an aromatic phenolic compound naturally occurring in red raspberries, kiwifruit, peaches, and apples and reported for its potential therapeutic and nutraceutical properties. Studies in cells and rodents have suggested an important role for RK in hepatic/cardio/gastric protection and as an anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-obesity, depigmentation, and sexual maturation agent. Raspberry ketone-mediated activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α) stands out as one of its main modes of action. Although rodent studies have demonstrated the efficacious effects of RK, its mechanism remains largely unknown. In spite of a lack of reliable human research, RK is marketed as a health supplement, at very high doses. In this review, we provide a compilation of scientific research that has been conducted so far, assessing the therapeutic properties of RK in several disease conditions as well as inspiring future research before RK can be considered safe and efficacious with limited side effects as an alternative to modern medicines in the treatment of major lifestyle-based diseases.

An ADH toolbox for raspberry ketone production from natural resources via a biocatalytic cascade

Abstract

Raspberry ketone is a widely used flavor compound in food and cosmetic industry. Several processes for its biocatalytic production have already been described, but either with the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or incomplete conversion of the variety of precursors that are available in nature. Such natural precursors are rhododendrol glycosides with different proportions of (R)- and (S)-rhododendrol depending on the origin. After hydrolysis of these rhododendrol glycosides, the formed rhododendrol enantiomers have to be oxidized to obtain the final product raspberry ketone. To be able to achieve a high conversion with different starting material, we assembled an alcohol dehydrogenase toolbox that can be accessed depending on the optical purity of the intermediate rhododendrol. This is demonstrated by converting racemic rhododendrol using a combination of (R)- and (S)-selective alcohol dehydrogenases together with a universal cofactor recycling system. Furthermore, we conducted a biocatalytic cascade reaction starting from naturally derived rhododendrol glycosides by the use of a glucosidase and an alcohol dehydrogenase to produce raspberry ketone in high yield.

Key points

• LB-ADH, LK-ADH and LS-ADH oxidize (R)-rhododendrol

• RR-ADH and ADH1E oxidize (S)-rhododendrol

• Raspberry ketone production via glucosidase and alcohol dehydrogenases from a toolbox

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-021-11332-9.

Efficient Biosynthesis of Raspberry Ketone by Engineered Escherichia coli Coexpressing Zingerone Synthase and Glucose Dehydrogenase

Raspberry ketone (RK), the main aroma compound of raspberry fruit, has applications in cosmetics, food industry, and pharmaceutics. In this study, we biosynthesized RK via the catalytic reduction of 4-hydroxybenzylidenacetone using a whole-cell biocatalyst. Reductase RiRZS1 from Rubus idaeus and glucose dehydrogenase SyGDH from Thermoplasma acidophilum were expressed in Escherichia coli to regenerate NADPH for the whole-cell catalytic reaction. Following the optimization of balancing the coexpression of two enzymes in pRSFDuet-1, we obtained 9.89 g/L RK with a conversion rate of 98% and a space-time yield of 4.94 g/(L·h). The optimum conditions are 40 °C, pH 5.5, and a molar ratio of substrate to auxiliary substrate of 1:2.5. Our study findings provide a promising method of biosynthesizing RK.

Bioconversion to Raspberry Ketone is Achieved by Several Non-related Plant Cell Cultures

Bioconversion, i.e., the use of biological systems to perform chemical changes in synthetic or natural compounds in mild conditions, is an attractive tool for the production of novel active or high-value compounds. Plant cells exhibit a vast biochemical potential, being able to transform a range of substances, including pharmaceutical ingredients and industrial by-products, via enzymatic processes. The use of plant cell cultures offers possibilities for contained and optimized production processes which can be applied in industrial scale. Raspberry ketone [4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)butan-2-one] is among the most interesting natural flavor compounds, due to its high demand and significant market value. The biosynthesis of this industrially relevant flavor compound is relatively well characterized, involving the condensation of 4-coumaryl-CoA and malonyl-CoA by Type III polyketide synthase to form a diketide, and the subsequent reduction catalyzed by an NADPH-dependent reductase. Raspberry ketone has been successfully produced by bioconversion using different hosts and precursors to establish more efficient and economical processes. In this work, we studied the effect of overexpressed RiZS1 in tobacco on precursor bioconversion to raspberry ketone. In addition, various wild type plant cell cultures were studied for their capacity to carry out the bioconversion to raspberry ketone using either 4-hydroxybenzalacetone or betuligenol as a substrate. Apparently plant cells possess rather widely distributed reductase activity capable of performing the bioconversion to raspberry ketone using cheap and readily available precursors.

Efficient production of the flavoring agent zingerone and of both (R)- and (S)-zingerols via green fungal biocatalysis. Comparative antifungal activities between enantiomers

Zingerone (1) and both chiral forms of zingerol (2) were obtained from dehydrozingerone (3) by biotransformation with filamentous fungi. The bioconversion of 3 with A. fumigatus, G. candidum or R. oryzae allowed the production of 1 as the sole product at 8 h and in 81%–90% at 72 h. In turn, A. flavus, A. niger, C. echinulata, M. circinelloides and P. citrinum produced 1 at 8 h, but at 72 h alcohol 2 was obtained as the major product (74%–99%). Among them, A. niger and M. circinelloides led to the anti-Prelog zingerol (R)-2 in only one step with high conversion rates and ee. Instead, C. echinulata and P. citrinum allowed to obtain (S)-2 in only one step, with high conversion rates and ee. Both chiral forms of 2 were tested for antifungal properties against a panel of clinically important fungi, showing that (R)-, but not (S)-2 possessed antifungal activity.

4-(4-Hy-droxy-phen-yl)butan-2-one

In the title compound, C₁₀H₁₂O₂, the substituted benzene ring is inclined at a dihedral angle of 75.9 (1)° to the almost planar butan-2-one substituent (r.m.s. deviation = 0.02 Å). In the crystal, inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into chains along the a axis.

A practical approach for ambient-pressure hydrogenations using Pd on porous glass

A Pd on porous glass catalyst system was used in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of terpenoid substrates with dihydrogen at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. A multitude of substances were hydrogenated selectively with yields of 90-100 %. In all experiments, only C--C, C--N, and N--N double bonds were hydrogenated. Studies revealed that carbonyl and aromatic double bonds are inert towards catalytic reduction with dihydrogen under the conditions employed. In some cases, hydrogenation was accompanied by isomerization, so that treatment of beta-pinene, for example, afforded isomeric alpha-pinene, which was subsequently hydrogenated to pinane.

Microbial production of natural raspberry ketone

Raspberry ketone is an important compound for the flavour industry. It is frequently used in products such as soft drinks, sweets, puddings and ice creams. The compound can be produced by organic synthesis. Demand for "natural" raspberry ketone is growing considerably. However, this product is extremely expensive. Consequently, there is a remaining desire to better understand how raspberry ketone is synthesized in vivo, and which genes and enzymes are involved. With this information we will then be in a better position to design alternative production strategies such as microbial fermentation. This article focuses on the identification and application of genes potentially linked to raspberry ketone synthesis. We have isolated candidate genes from both raspberry and other plants, and these have been introduced into bacterial and yeast expression systems. Conditions have been determined that result in significant levels of raspberry ketone, up to 5 mg/L. These results therefore lay a strong foundation for a potentially renewable source of "natural" flavour compounds making use of plant genes.

Overcoming the thermodynamic limitation in asymmetric hydrogen transfer reactions catalyzed by whole cells

Whole lyophilized cells of an Escherichia coli overexpressing the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH-'A') from Rhodococcus ruber DSM 44541 were used for the asymmetric reduction of ketones to secondary alcohols. The recycling of the required nicotinamide cofactor (NADH) was achieved in a coupled-substrate process. In the course of the reaction the ketone is reduced to the alcohol and the hydrogen donor 2-propanol is oxidized to acetone by one enzyme. This leads to a thermodynamic equilibrium between all four components determining the maximum achievable conversion. To overcome this limitation an in situ product removal technique (ISPR) for the application with whole cells was developed. In this method the most volatile compound is separated from the reaction vessel by an air flow resulting in a shift of the equilibrium towards the desired secondary alcohol. The so-called stripping process represents a simple and efficient method to overcome the thermodynamic limitation in biocatalytic reactions. Employing this method, the conversion of selected biotransformations was increased up to completeness.

Biocatalytic preparation of natural flavours and fragrances

During the past years biocatalytic production of fine chemicals has been expanding rapidly. Flavours and fragrances belong to many different structural classes and therefore represent a challenging target for academic and industrial research. Here, we present a condensed overview of the potential offered by biocatalysis for the synthesis of natural and natural-identical odorants, highlighting relevant biotransformations using microorganisms and isolated enzymes. The industrial processes based on biocatalytic methods are discussed in terms of their advantages over classical chemical synthesis and extraction from natural sources. Recent applications of the biocatalytic approach to the preparation of the most important fine odorants are comprehensively covered.

Recent advances in the biocatalytic reduction of ketones and oxidation of sec -alcohols

To improve the efficiency and applicability of biocatalytic redox-reactions for asymmetric ketone-reduction and enantioselective alcohol-oxidation catalyzed by nicotinamide-dependent dehydrogenases/reductases, several achievements for cofactor-recycling have been made during the last two years. First, the use of hydrogenases for NADPH recycling in a two enzyme system. Second, preparative transformations with alcohol dehydrogenases coupled with NADH oxidases for NAD+/NADP+ recycling. Third, an exceptional chemo-stable alcohol dehydrogenase can efficiently use i-propanol and acetone as cosubstrates for reduction and oxidation, respectively, in a single-enzyme system. Novel carbonyl reductases and dehydrogenases derived from plant cells are particularly suited for sterically demanding substrates.