Consolidated production of coniferol and other high-value aromatic alcohols directly from lignocellulosic biomass

Author(s)

Tramontina, Robson ^{[1, 2]} ; Galman, James L. ^[1] ; Parmeggiani, Fabio ^[1] ; Derrington, Sasha R. ^[1] ; Bugg, Timothy D. H. ^[3] ; Turner, Nicholas J. ^[1] ; Squina, Fabio M. ^[4] ; Dixon, Neil ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Manchester, Sch Chem, MIB, 131 Princess St, Manchester M1 7DN, Lancs - England

^[2] Univ Estadual Campinas, Postgrad Program Biosci & Technol Bioact Prod BTP, Inst Biol, UNICAMP, 500 Albert Einstein Av, BR-13083852 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Warwick, Dept Chem, Coventry CV4 7AL, W Midlands - England

^[4] Univ Sorocaba, Program Technol & Environm Proc, Raposo Tavares Rd, Km 92-5 Vila Artura, BR-18023000 Sorocaba, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: GREEN CHEMISTRY; v. 22, n. 1, p. 144-152, JAN 7 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 9

Abstract

Sustainable production of fine chemicals and biofuels from renewable biomass offers a potential alternative to the continued use of finite geological oil reserves. However, in order to compete with current petrochemical refinery processes, alternative biorefinery processes must overcome significant costs and productivity barriers. Herein, we demonstrate the biocatalytic production of the versatile chemical building block, coniferol, for the first time, directly from lignocellulosic biomass. Following the biocatalytic treatment of lignocellulose to release and convert ferulic acid with feruloyl esterase (XynZ), carboxylic acid reductase (CAR) and aldo-keto reductase (AKR), this whole cell catalytic cascade not only achieved equivalent release of ferulic acid from lignocellulose compared to alkaline hydrolysis, but also displayed efficient conversion of ferulic acid to coniferol. This system represents a consolidated biodegradation-biotransformation strategy for the production of high value fine chemicals from waste plant biomass, offering the potential to minimize environmental waste and add value to agro-industrial residues. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/50590-4 - Lignin valorization in cellulosic ethanol plants: biocatalytic conversion via ferulic acid to high value chemicals
• Grantee: Fábio Márcio Squina
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/23754-1 - Development of a synthetic route to produce coniferyl alcohol from ferulic acid using an aldo-keto reductase from lower termite Coptotermes gestroi
• Grantee: Robson Tramontina
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate