Microbial-catalyzed biotransformation of multifunctional triterpenoids derived from phytonutrients

• Published in: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Main Author: Shah S.A.A.; Tan H.L.; Sultan S.; Faridz M.A.B.M.; Shah M.A.B.M.; Nurfazilah S.; Hussain M.
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2014
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84904045065&doi=10.3390%2fijms150712027&partnerID=40&md5=2b8d219d641054462c7420b98c18aaab

Microbial-catalyzed biotransformations have considerable potential for the generation of an enormous variety of structurally diversified organic compounds, especially natural products with complex structures like triterpenoids. They offer efficient and economical ways to produce semi-synthetic analogues and novel lead molecules. Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi could catalyze chemo-, regio- and stereospecific hydroxylations of diverse triterpenoid substrates that are extremely difficult to produce by chemical routes. During recent years, considerable research has been performed on the microbial transformation of bioactive triterpenoids, in order to obtain biologically active molecules with diverse structures features. This article reviews the microbial modifications of tetranortriterpenoids, tetracyclic triterpenoids and pentacyclic triterpenoids. © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.