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bioRxiv · 10.1101/202341

A cell-free synthetic biochemistry platform for raspberry ketone production

Moore, S. J.·Tosi, T.·Hleba, Y. B.·Bell, D.·Polizzi, K.·Freemont, P.
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Abstract

Cell-free synthetic biochemistry provides a green solution to replace traditional petroleum or agricultural based methods for production of fine chemicals. 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-butan-2-one, also known as raspberry ketone, is the major fragrance component of raspberry fruit and is utilised as a natural additive in the food and sports industry. Current industrial processing standards involve chemical extraction with a yield of 1-4 mg per kilo of fruit. As such its market price can fluctuate up to $20,000 per kg. Metabolic engineering approaches to synthesise this molecule by microbial fermentation have only resulted in low yields of up to 5 mg L-1. In contrast, cell-free synthetic biochemistry offers an intriguing compromise to the engineering constraints provided by the living cell. Using purified enzymes or a two-step semisynthetic route, an optimised pathway was formed for raspberry ketone synthesis leading up to 100% yield conversion. The semi-synthetic route is potentially scalable and cost-efficient for industrial synthesis of raspberry ketone.

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Moore, S. J., Tosi, T., Hleba, Y. B., Bell, D., Polizzi, K., Freemont, P.. 2017-10-12. A cell-free synthetic biochemistry platform for raspberry ketone production. https://doi.org/10.1101/202341

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