Glycosylation of the polyphenols from Resina draconis by glycosyltransferase YjiC1

• Published in: Natural product research Vol. 37; no. 19; pp. 3245 - 3252
• Main Authors: Wang, Chen, Tang, Ding, Xu, Wei, Liu, Yan, Huang, Zhao-He, Shaw, Pang-Chui, Jiang, Ren-Wang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02.10.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: bioactive properties; Bioavailability; Biological activity; Blood circulation; drugs; Flavonoids; Glycosylation; Glycosyltransferase; Microorganisms; Natural products; polyphenol; Polyphenols; Raw materials; Resina Draconis; Solubility; stilbenes; Water circulation; water solubility; YjiC1; YjiC1; polyphenol; water solubility; Resina Draconis
• ISSN: 1478-6419; 1478-6427; 1478-6427
• DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2066100

Resina Draconis (RD), also known as 'dragon's blood', contains a broad range of natural compounds, such as flavonoids, stilbenes and dihydrochalcones. It is clinically used to enhance blood circulation. However, the major components of RD suffer from relatively poor water solubility. Glycosylation is a critical determinant for modulating solubility and improving bioavailability and bioactivity of natural products. Herein, we report a novel method to efficiently synthesize glycosidic derivatives of the major polyphenols in RD using a microbial glycosyltransferase, i.e., YjiC1. Solubility test showed that the synthetic glycosidic derivatives displayed higher water solubility than the raw materials. This research sheds light on the structural modification of natural products for higher water solubility, which is important for innovative drug discovery.