[Research progresses in the biosynthesis of curcuminoids]

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology
• Metabolic Engineering
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Curcuminoids, rare plant diketones from Curcuma longa, possess valuable antioxidant and pharmacological properties.
• Current plant extraction methods for curcuminoids cannot meet market demand.
• Curcuminoids are a mixture of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the biological activities and applications of curcuminoids.
• To summarize the biosynthesis pathway of curcuminoids in Curcuma longa.
• To explore advances in microbial production of curcuminoids using metabolic engineering.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on curcuminoid biosynthesis and microbial production.
• Analysis of metabolic engineering strategies in heterologous hosts.
• Discussion of curcumin synthase catalytic mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Successful heterologous production of curcuminoids achieved in various microorganisms (E. coli, Y. lipolytica, P. putida, A. oryzae).
• Metabolic engineering strategies have been employed to enhance curcuminoid yields.
• The review details the biosynthetic pathway and enzyme mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Microbial production offers a promising alternative to plant extraction for meeting curcuminoid demand.
• Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering are key to optimizing microbial curcuminoid production.
• Future prospects include advanced techniques for efficient and scalable production.