Microbial Biotransformation to Obtain New Antifungals

Abstract

Antifungal drugs belong to few chemical groups and such low diversity limits the therapeutic choices. The urgent need of innovative options has pushed researchers to search new bioactive molecules. Literature regarding the last 15 years reveals that different research groups have used different approaches to achieve such goal. However, the discovery of molecules with different mechanisms of action still demands considerable time and efforts. This review was conceived to present how Pharmaceutical Biotechnology might contribute to the discovery of molecules with antifungal properties by microbial biotransformation procedures. Authors present some aspects of (1) microbial biotransformation of herbal medicines and food; (2) possibility of major and minor molecular amendments in existing molecules by biocatalysis; (3) methodological improvements in processes involving whole cells and immobilized enzymes; (4) potential of endophytic fungi to produce antimicrobials by bioconversions; and (5) in silico research driving to the improvement of molecules. All these issues belong to a new conception of transformation procedures, so-called “green chemistry,” which aims the highest possible efficiency with reduced production of waste and the smallest environmental impact.

Microbial Biosynthesis of Antibacterial Chrysoeriol in Recombinant Escherichia coli and Bioactivity Assessment

“…Thus, many researchers develop compounds based on structure-activity relationships (SAR) and optimize them for better activities against particular target pathogen based on the previously known structure and their activities [25,26]. Yet, the development of molecules by post-modifications and other derivatization is another widely accepted approach for developing novel molecules with potent activities [27][28][29]. Recently, diverse plant and microbial secondary metabolites have been modified by enzymatic and microbial biotransformation with the aim of developing novel agents with stronger activities against diverse pathogens, cancers, and other communicable and non-communicable diseases.…”

“…The adequate concentration of co-factors and enzymes provides the favorable conditions that modulate the activity of multi-enzymatic complexes, resulting in the increase of reaction conversion rates [30]. The production of antibiotics via microbial biotransformation not only involves supply of purified precursor molecules but may also encompass complex substrates that can be biotransformed into compounds rich in active substances [28].…”

From Axenic to Mixed Cultures: Technological Advances Accelerating a Paradigm Shift in Microbiology

“…These trends unfortunately coincide with the rise of bacteria being resistant toward antimicrobials, including so-called "last-resort drugs" [7]. Chemical approaches such as highthroughput screenings of chemical libraries [8], de novo chemical synthesis [9], or biotransformation [10] generate new chemical diversity, yet the main and most promising source of antimicrobials remains microbial secondary metabolism [5,6,11].…”

Microbial Transformation of neo-Clerodane Diterpenoid, Scutebarbatine F, by Streptomyces sp. CPCC 205437

“…Biotransformation of natural products has been proved to be an efficient and environmentally friendly approach to the preparation of new compounds, and biotransformation is a powerful tool for the regioselective and stereoselective introduction under mild conditions ( Bianchini et al, 2015 ; Cao et al, 2015 ; Hegazy et al, 2015 ; Zafar et al, 2016 ; Khojasteh et al, 2019 ). Microbial biotransformation can be an attractive alternative to introduce hydroxyl and acetyl groups at specific positions, which were difficult to achieve by conventional synthesis methods.…”