Effects of Bioregulators and Administration Methods on the Biotransformation of Monoterpenes by Cultured Cells of Eucalyptus Perriniana

Abstract

Biotransformations using isolated enzymes and miro-organisms have been applied to the field of organic synthesis [1]. Biotransformations using plant cultured cells, in particular glycosylation reactions, have been the subject of increasing attention [2–4]. We have already reported that the cultured cells of Eucalyptus perriniana can biotransform monoterpenes, (-)- menthol [5], (+)-menthol [6] and (-)-borneol [7], diterpene, steviol [8], and triterpene, 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid [9], to their hydroxylation, oxidation, reduction and glucosylation products. For example, from the experiments of (-)-menthol and (-)-borneol various biotransformation products (10 and 8, respectively) were obtained. On the point of view of the industrial application, the biotransformation that resulted a useful product (not complicated mixture) would be preferred. In this paper, the effects of bioregulators, glucose and substrate feeding methods on the biotransformation of (-)-borneol by cultured cells of E. perriniana are reported.