Saccharomyces Cerevisiae—An Interesting Producer of Bioactive Plant Polyphenolic Metabolites

Abstract

Secondary phenolic metabolites are defined as valuable natural products synthesized by different organisms that are not essential for growth and development. These compounds play an essential role in plant defense mechanisms and an important role in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, and agricultural industries. Despite the vast chemical diversity of natural compounds, their content in plants is very low, and, as a consequence, this eliminates the possibility of the production of these interesting secondary metabolites from plants. Therefore, microorganisms are widely used as cell factories by industrial biotechnology, in the production of different non-native compounds. Among microorganisms commonly used in biotechnological applications, yeast are a prominent host for the diverse secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is often regarded as a better host organism for the heterologous production of phenolic compounds, particularly if the expression of different plant genes is necessary.

Saccharomyces cerevisiaeBioactive Metabolites: Characterization and Biological Activities

“…Phenolic acids are a significant group of phenolic compounds with bioactive properties, [49] whereas flavonoids play an essential role in accordance with their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti‐inflammatory activities [50,51] . Although plants, as previously demonstrated, biosynthesize flavonoids, yeast, on the other hand, does not naturally produce phenylpropanoid phenolics despite its metabolism providing the aromatic amino acid precursors required for the subsequent phenolic biosynthesis pathway [28] …”

“…[50,51] Although plants, as previously demonstrated, biosynthesize flavonoids, yeast, on the other hand, does not naturally produce phenylpropanoid phenolics despite its metabolism providing the aromatic amino acid precursors required for the subsequent phenolic biosynthesis pathway. [28] Thus, understanding the microbial synthesis of these compounds is particularly appealing. The pharmaceutical sector has boosted its need for polyphenols in recent years; as a result, the scientific community has launched many initiatives to construct a stable platform for manufacturing these therapeutic molecules.…”

“…In preclinical studies, flavonols such as fisetin, kaempferol, and quercetin were found to be antiproliferative and proapoptotic in head and neck cancer cells [27] . Flavonoids play a significant function based on their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti‐inflammatory properties [28] . Because of their antibacterial and antioxidant properties, phenolic compounds released by yeast might serve as a sustainable supply of natural food preservatives [29] …”

“…[27] Flavonoids play a significant function based on their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. [28] Because of their antibacterial and antioxidant properties, phenolic compounds released by yeast might serve as a sustainable supply of natural food preservatives. [29] Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are low molecular weight compounds (300 Da), characterized by low polarity and high vapor pressure, produced by yeasts, molds, and bacteria during their primary and secondary metabolism; and their production is biologically dynamic and strongly influenced by microbial species as well as growth conditions and phase.…”

Italian Grape Ale Beers Obtained with Malvasia di Candia Aromatica Grape Variety: Evolution of Phenolic Compounds during Fermentation

“…This correlation can be ascribable to Saccharomyces cerevisiae glycosidase’s activity on rutin (structurally composed by quercetin bound to rutinose), with the subsequent release of free quercetin from the third day of fermentation. IGA beers were also characterised by the presence of a positive correlation between quercetin and kaempferol, probably due to the flavonol synthase activity exerted by Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the same dihydrokaempferol precursor [ 25 ].…”