REVIEW - BIOCATALYTIC TRANSFORMATIONS OF FERULIC ACID - AN ABUNDANT AROMATIC NATURAL PRODUCT

In this review we examine the fascinating array of microbial and enzym atic transformations of ferulic acid, Ferulic acid is an extremely abu ndant, preformed phenolic aromatic chemical found widely in nature. Fe rulic acid is viewed as a commodity scale, renewable chemical feedstoc k for biocatalytic conversion to other useful aromatic chemicals, Most attention is focused on bioconversions of ferulic acid itself, Topics covered include cinnamoyl side-chain cleavage; nonoxidative decarboxy lation; mechanistic details of styrene formation; purification and cha racterization of ferulic acid decarboxylase; conversion of ferulic aci d to vanillin; O-demethylation; and reduction reactions, Biotransforma tions of vinylguaiacol are discussed, and selected biotransformations of vanillic acid including oxidative and nonoxidative decarboxylation are surveyed, Finally, enzymatic oxidative dimerization and polymeriza tion reactions are reviewed.