β-Ionone: Its Occurrence and Biological Function and Metabolic Engineering

Abstract

β-Ionone is a natural plant volatile compound, and it is the 9,10 and 9’,10’ cleavage product of β-carotene by the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase. β-Ionone is widely distributed in flowers, fruits, and vegetables. β-Ionone and other apocarotenoids comprise flavors, aromas, pigments, growth regulators, and defense compounds; serve as ecological cues; have roles as insect attractants or repellants, and have antibacterial and fungicidal properties. In recent years, β-ionone has also received increased attention from the biomedical community for its potential as an anticancer treatment and for other human health benefits. However, β-ionone is typically produced at relatively low levels in plants. Thus, expressing plant biosynthetic pathway genes in microbial hosts and engineering the metabolic pathway/host to increase metabolite production is an appealing alternative. In the present review, we discuss β-ionone occurrence, the biological activities of β-ionone, emphasizing insect attractant/repellant activities, and the current strategies and achievements used to reconstruct enzyme pathways in microorganisms in an effort to to attain higher amounts of the desired β-ionone.

Antioxidant Capacity of Free Volatile Compounds from Olea europaea L. cv. Oblica Leaves Depending on the Vegetation Stage

“…In April, the value of (E)-β-damascenone fell to 5.02%, and the dominant compounds were β -ionone (20.48%), α-ionone (18.56%), and α -humulene (18.53%). The compound β -ionone is formed as a cleavage product of β-carotene and it has a significant ecological role in attracting insects or as a repellent, and a significant biomedical role: antibacterial, fungicidal, anticancer and other benefits to human health [ 40 ]. The compound α -humulene (14.75%) was significantly present in May, followed by (E)-β- damascenone (14.55%).…”

Estudio de la variación de la composición química del aceite esencial de las partes aéreas de Nasa ranunculifolia (Kunth)

“…La β-ionona es un norisopropanoide cuya biosíntesis es a través del ácido mevalónico que se encuentra ampliamente distribuido en flores, hojas, cortezas, frutos y raíces de plantas y es comúnmente producido a bajos porcentajes en plantas 9 , este norisopropanoide es ampliamente obtenido como la fragancia de las violetas y es ampliamente usado en la industria de los aromas, incluyendo cosméticos y no-cosméticos 10 . En el presente estudio, fue identificado y está en bajos porcentajes (1,12 %, 2,61 %, 1,8 %, 1,15 % y 1,25 %) durante los meses de colecta como afirma Paparella et al 2021.…”

Investigation of the Occurrence of Cyanotoxins in Lake Karaoun (Lebanon) by Mass Spectrometry, Bioassays and Molecular Methods

“…β-Ionone, commonly occurring in algae and higher plants, is also produced through the carotenoid cleavage of dioxygenases [ 45 ]. It has a characteristic flowery-woody odor, showing strong odor thresholds, at a level of 0.007 μg/L [ 46 ]. The release of β-ionone in lake water was positively correlated with microcystis biomass [ 47 ].…”