西红花中类胡萝卜素生物合成途径研究进展

Research progress on biosynthetic pathway of apo-carotenoids in Crocus sativus

以西红花苷为代表的脱辅基类胡萝卜素类化合物是传统中药西红花Crocus sativus的主要药效成分,具有广泛的抗氧化、抗炎、抗粥样动脉硬化、抗癌、抗抑郁等药理活性。西红花中类胡萝卜素的生物合成途径包括以甲羟戊酸起始合成牻牛儿基牻牛儿基焦磷酸至玉米黄质的传统上游路径,以及裂解玉米黄质特异性合成西红花酸及西红花苷的下游途径。对近年来西红花中类胡萝卜素代谢途径相关关键酶基因的研究现状进行综述,为进一步解析合成西红花苷等类胡萝卜素衍生物的下游途径指明方向,更为后续采用代谢工程的手段提高西红花苷等药效物质产量提供理论依据。

The apo-carotenoid compounds represented by crocins are the main medicinal components of Crocus sativus, which have extensive anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerosis, anticancer, antidepressant, and other pharmacological activities. Biosynthetic pathways of apo-carotenoids in C. sativus include the traditional upstream route of the synthesis of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate to zeaxanthin starting from mevalonate, and downstream pathway for the specific synthesis of crocetin and crocin by cleavage of zeaxanthin. This article reviews the recent research of key enzymes involved in the metabolism of apo-carotenoids in C. sativus, which facilitates further analysis of downstream pathways for the synthesis of apo-carotenoid derivatives such as crocin, and further provides a theoretical basis for the use of metabolic engineering methods to increase the production of crocins and other pharmacodynamic substances.