Work

Dihydroquercetin biosynthesis: From plant metabolism to microbial production

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Dihydroquercetin (DHQ), a natural dihydroflavonol with a wide range of bioactivities, has garnered increasing attention in pharmaceutical and functional food applications. However, traditional production methods based on plant extraction or chemical synthesis are limited by technical and environmental constraints, posing challenges for large-scale and sustainable production. Microbial biosynthesis using engineered microorganisms has emerged as a promising and sustainable alternative. This review first outlines the structural features, pharmacological functions, and native biosynthetic pathway of DHQ in plants. It then highlights recent advances in the development of microbial cell factories for DHQ production, focusing on key metabolic engineering strategies. These include improving the expression and catalytic efficiency of key enzymes, optimizing cofactor regeneration, enhancing precursor availability, and applying systems biology and multi-omics tools for pathway optimization and bottleneck identification. Finally, current challenges and future directions are discussed, providing insights into strategies for improving DHQ biosynthesis and supporting its broader application.

Source: Food Wellness

DOI: 10.1016/j.foodw.2025.100014

Authors: Yuyang Pan, Chufan Xiao, Jiwei Mao, Mingtao Huang

Institutions: South China University of Technology, Chalmers University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid:

Funders: Guangzhou Science and Technology Program key projects, Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Project, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities