Microbial transformation of some phytochemicals into value-added products: A review

Phytochemicals, plant-derived compounds, are the major components of traditional medicinal plants. Some phytochemicals have restricted applications, due to low bioavailability and less efficacy. However, their medicinal properties can be enhanced by converting them into value-added products for different bioactivities like anti-oxidant, neuroprotective, anti-obesity, anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory. Microbial transformation is one such process that is generally more specific and makes it possible to modify a compound without making any unwanted alterations in the molecule. This has led to the efficient production of value-added products with important pharmacological properties and the discovery of new active compounds. The present review assimilates the existing knowledge of the microbial transformation of some phytochemicals like eugenol, curcumin, ursolic acid, cinnamaldehyde, piperine, β-carotene, β-sitosterol, and quercetin to value-added products for their application in food, fragrances, and pharmaceutical industries.