Determination of Final Steps in Biosyntheses of Essential Oil Components in Perilla frutescens

Abstract

Biosynthetic pathways of the essential oil components in Perilla frutescens were examined by tracer experiments using [¹⁴ C]-labeled sucrose on two chemotypes: perillaketone (PK) and phenylpropanoid (PP-EM) types. The results of the experiments indicated that perillaketone is not converted from isoegomaketone but is synthesized directly from the hypothetical precursor egomaketone. On the other hand, it was shown that elemicin is not synthesized via myristicin but from the possible common precursor, methyleugenol, in the plant having the dominant gene E. These results validate the hypothetical pathways proposed by Hegnauer and Fujita.