Issue 6, 2022

Laccase-mediated synthesis of bioactive natural products and their analogues

Abstract

Laccases are a class of multicopper oxidases that catalyse the one-electron oxidation of four equivalents of a reducing substrate, with the concomitant four-electron reduction of dioxygen to water. Typically, they catalyse many anabolic reactions, in which mostly phenolic metabolites were subjected to oxidative coupling. Alternatively, laccases catalyse the degradation or modification of biopolymers like lignin in catabolic processes. In recent years, laccases have proved valuable and green biocatalysts for synthesising compounds with therapeutic value, including antitumor, antibiotic, antimicrobial, and antioxidant agents. Further up to date applications include oxidative depolymerisation of lignin to gain new biomaterials and bioremediation processes of industrial waste. This review summarizes selected examples from the last decade's literature about the laccase-mediated synthesis of biologically active natural products and their analogues; these will include lignans and neolignans, dimeric stilbenoids, biflavonoids, biaryls and other compounds of potential interest for the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, a short section about applications of laccases in natural polymer modification has been included.

Graphical abstract: Laccase-mediated synthesis of bioactive natural products and their analogues

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
31 Dec 2021
Accepted
14 Apr 2022
First published
18 Apr 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Chem. Biol., 2022,3, 614-647

Laccase-mediated synthesis of bioactive natural products and their analogues

N. Cardullo, V. Muccilli and C. Tringali, RSC Chem. Biol., 2022, 3, 614 DOI: 10.1039/D1CB00259G

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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