Coupling Carbon-Source Transport with Antioxidant Biosynthesis in Yeast: Product Diversity and Engineering Strategies

Antioxidants protect cells from oxidative damage through mechanisms such as radical scavenging, metal chelation, and maintenance of redox homeostasis. Yeasts are useful hosts for antioxidant production. This review distinguishes native yeast metabolites, cell-wall and extracellular components, heterologously synthesized antioxidant compounds, fermentation- or extraction-associated antioxidants, and antioxidants obtained from mixed cultures. This review examines how carbon-source type and membrane transport influence central-carbon metabolism, precursor availability, and NADPH supply. These processes can affect antioxidant biosynthesis, although the outcome depends on the substrate, yeast strain, and biosynthesis pathway. Finally, we summarize engineering strategies involving transporter optimization, carbon-flux redistribution, enhancement of precursor and cofactor supply, and regulation of stress responses. Integrating carbon uptake with intracellular metabolic allocation provides a mechanistic framework for understanding and improving antioxidant production in yeast.