Green Biosynthesis of Terpenoid-Derived Flavor and Fragrance Compounds: Advances and Strategic Perspectives.
Zheng Y, Cao H, Bi J, Xue F
Synthetic Biology
Vanilla, mint, and citrus flavors in your food — and the floral scents in your garden products — are often extracted from plants at great environmental cost; microbial biosynthesis could protect wild plant populations and reduce the chemical footprint of everyday products.
Plants make thousands of aromatic compounds that give herbs their smell and fruits their taste. Extracting these compounds directly from plants is expensive and unsustainable, and making them in a lab with chemicals is tricky. This review looks at how scientists are now programming yeast and bacteria to brew these same compounds efficiently, using cheap starting materials and clever biological tricks.
Key Findings
Conventional plant extraction and chemical synthesis of terpenoids face fundamental problems with stereoselectivity (getting the molecule's exact shape right) and environmental sustainability, driving interest in biosynthetic alternatives.
Synthetic biology strategies — including enzyme modification, dynamic pathway regulation, and cellular compartmentalization — have been identified as key tools to overcome production bottlenecks in microbial terpenoid factories.
Selecting compatible microbial host strains and engineering tolerance to terpenoid toxicity are highlighted as critical, often overlooked factors for achieving viable commercial-scale biosynthesis.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists are reviewing how to use engineered microbes — instead of harvesting plants or using harsh chemicals — to produce the natural scent and flavor compounds (terpenoids) found in herbs, flowers, and fruits. Advances in synthetic biology are making this greener and more scalable.
Abstract Preview
Terpenoids and their derivatives play pivotal roles in the flavor and fragrance industry due to their superior olfactory properties. While conventional plant extraction and chemical synthesis face ...
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