Journal
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
Volume 11, Issue 18, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/app11188500
Keywords
lactones; flavors; fragrances; microbial production; de novo biosynthesis; metabolic engineering; bioeconomy
Categories
Funding
- Biomass and Bioenergy Research Infrastructure (BBRI) [LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-022059]
- Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization (PORTUGAL2020)
- Lisbon Portugal Regional Operational Programme (Lisboa 2020)
- North Portugal Regional Operational Program (Norte 2020) under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
- Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) [UIDB/04469/2020]
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Lactones, volatile organic compounds found in foods, are utilized in various industries as flavors and fragrances. While their potential as green solvents and fuel precursors is recognized, their current production methods need improvement. Microbial engineering may play a key role in transitioning towards more sustainable production methods for lactones.
Lactones are volatile organic compounds widely present in foods. These chemicals are applied as flavors and fragrances in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Recently, the potential of lactones as green solvents and fuel precursors reinforced their role as platform compounds of future bio-based economies. However, their current mode of production needs to change. Lactones are mainly obtained through chemical synthesis or microbial biotransformation of hydroxy fatty acids. The latter approach is preferred but still needs to use more sustainable substrates. Hydroxy fatty acids are non-abundant and non-sustainable substrates from environmental, health and economic points of view. Therefore, it is urgent to identify and engineer microorganisms with the rare ability to biosynthesize lactones from carbohydrates or renewable lipids. Here, we firstly address the variety and importance of lactones. Then, the current understanding of the biosynthetic pathways involved in lactone biosynthesis is presented, making use of the knowledge acquired in microorganisms and fruits. From there, we present and make the distinction between biotransformation processes and de novo biosynthesis of lactones. Finally, the opportunities and challenges towards more sustainable production in addition to the relevance of two well-known industrial microbes, the filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii and the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, are discussed.
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