Compound K Production: Achievements and Perspectives

Author: mycolabadmin
2023-07-14
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Summary

This research reviews different methods for producing Compound K (CK), an important medicinal compound derived from ginseng plants. CK has significant health benefits but cannot be found naturally in ginseng, requiring special production methods. The study examines various approaches to produce CK, with particular focus on using engineered microorganisms as an efficient and environmentally friendly production method. Impacts on everyday life: • Provides more efficient ways to produce CK for use in medicines and health supplements • Offers environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical production methods • Could lead to more affordable and accessible ginseng-based medications • Advances our understanding of how to produce natural compounds sustainably • May help develop new treatments for conditions like cancer, diabetes, and neurological diseases

Background

Compound K (CK) is one of the major metabolites found in mammalian blood and organs following oral administration of Panax plants. It has garnered significant attention in healthcare and medical products due to its pharmacological activities, but is not found naturally in ginseng plants. Traditional chemical synthesis uses toxic solvents and leads to environmental pollution, while enzymatic reactions are impractical for industrial CK production due to low yield and high costs.

Objective

This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of various approaches for the production of CK, including chemical and enzymatic reactions, biotransformation by human intestinal bacteria and endophytes, as well as engineered microbes. The review discusses different approaches to improve the productivity of target compounds.

Results

The review found that microbial hosts, including human intestinal bacteria, endophytes, and industrial microbes, are the most important cell factories for CK production. Metabolic engineering assisted by synthetic biology shows particular promise, with various strategies like heterologous gene expression, enzyme engineering, and metabolic flux optimization being successfully applied. The highest reported yield achieved was 5.74 g/L using engineered S. cerevisiae.

Conclusion

While chemical synthesis of CK has limitations, biological approaches show significant advantages. Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology tools provide promising methods for efficient CK production. Future research should focus on discovering novel endophytes, understanding gut microbiota, and developing omics data from ginseng plants and endophytes. Non-conventional yeasts like Y. lipolytica and P. pastoris could be engineered to improve CK productivity.

Published in:Life (Basel),
Study Type:Review,
Source: 10.3390/life13071565