Synthesis and purification of bioactive flavonoids

• Applicant: Dr. Stefan Martens
• Subject Area: Nutritional Sciences
• Term: from 2006 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 23241887

As partner of the research consortium "FlavoNET" we have developed and improved the synthesis of various 14C-labelled flavonoids. Using a combination of partial chemical synthesis of precursors, recombinant proteins obtained from heterologous expression of plant derived cDNA's in microbial systems and Chromatographie purification systems various flavonoids are available now. The key step - naringenin synthesis - was optimized during the past project time. The obtained precursor can be used now for stepswise biochemical synthesis of several requested flavonoids, e.g. genistein, eriodictyol, apigenin or luteolin. Moreover, we used transgenic microorganisms (E coll and bakers yeast) to establish an in-vivo synthesis system (biotransformation) to refine specific unlabelled flavonoids but also to establish total synthesis of several flavonoids from precursors derived from phenylpropanoid pathway. Both approaches were demonstrated for several enzymatic steps and were also capable for large production of 14C-labelled flavonoids.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants