Abstract
Biotechnological production of phenolic acids is attracting increased interest due to their superior antioxidant activity, as well as other antimicrobial, dietary, and health benefits. As secondary metabolites, primarily found in plants and fungi, they are effective free radical scavengers due to the phenolic group available in their structure. Therefore, phenolic acids are widely utilised by pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and chemical industries. A demand for phenolic acids is mostly satisfied by utilising chemically synthesised compounds, with only a low quantity obtained from natural sources. As an alternative to chemical synthesis, environmentally friendly bio-based technologies are necessary for development in large-scale production. One of the most promising sustainable technologies is the utilisation of microbial cell factories for biosynthesis of phenolic acids. In this paper, we perform a systematic comparison of the best known natural sources of phenolic acids. The advances and prospects in the development of microbial cell factories for biosynthesis of these bioactive compounds are discussed in more detail. A special consideration is given to the modern production methods and analytics of phenolic acids.
Highlights
Phenolic acids, alongside simple phenols, hydrolysable tannins, acetophenones, lignans, coumarins, benzophenones, xanthones, stilbenes, and secoiridoids, belong to a large group of aromatic compounds, often referred to as phenolic compounds or phenolics [1,2,3]
The structure of phenolic acids defined by the position and number of methoxy and hydroxy groups attached to the aromatic ring contribute to their antioxidant or anti-radical scavenging properties [34,35]
Derived phenolic acids are produced as secondary metabolites by plants and engineered or natural microorganisms
Summary
Alongside simple phenols, hydrolysable tannins, acetophenones, lignans, coumarins, benzophenones, xanthones, stilbenes, and secoiridoids, belong to a large group of aromatic compounds, often referred to as phenolic compounds or phenolics [1,2,3]. To other phenolic compounds, the phenolic acids exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, antimutagenic, or anticancer activity [12,13,14,15,16,17] They reduce oxidative damage or stress in the cells, reducing the risk of diseases. Gallic acid has a diverse range of industrial uses, such as in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and feed, ink and dye, and paper industries, among others [28]. Many compounds, including phenolic acids, can be produced using engineered microorganisms These microbial cell factories can be cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives, delivering the yield and purity of compounds that are higher than those extracted from plants [30,31]. This paper focuses firstly on natural sources and properties of phenolic acids It introduces into methodologies used for the extraction of these bioactive compounds. The development and use of new tools, such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) system and genetically encoded biosensors, to improve phenolic acid production is emphasised
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