Improved Bioproduction of Perillic Acid: Benefits of Using In Situ Product Removal

摘要

Biotechnological formation of industrially interesting compounds often has limited productivity. Furthermore, the diluted product stream leads to high downstream processing costs. In contrast, the implementation of in situ product removal (ISPR) can provide technical solutions for processes limited by inhibitory products [1]. Here, we discuss the benefits of using ISPR to improve the bioproduction of perillic acid, a promising bioactive agent of industrial interest. For centuries, plant terpenes and their oxygenated derivatives have been used in medicine for their wide biological activity [2]. Perillic acid, present in Perilla frutescens [3], has been shown to exert potent anticancer and antimicrobial activity [4, 5]. Therefore, this almost odorless monoterpenoic acid is a promising natural bioactive agent of interest to the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Nevertheless, the low concentration of the naturally occurring perillic acid makes its extraction economically not viable. Furthermore, its chemical synthesis is an environmentally problematic production process [6].