Abstract
Previous results indicated that all tested cell suspension lines derived from various
Mentha chemotypes were capable to biotransform (-) menthone to (+)-neomentol but only some
of these lines converted (+)-pulegone to (+)-isomenthone. In order to quest whether
only the natural secondary metabolites or also other compounds with similarities to
pulegone are biohydrogenated by Mentha cell suspensions, we incubated such suspensions with 5 unsaturated α-beta; ketones.
No conversion was detected when mesityl oxide, trans-6-tert. butyl pulegone or 3-isopropylidine-9-methyl-decalone-2
were incubated with Mentha cells, while saturation of the α-β double bond of 2-isopropylidine cyclohexanone
and of trans-6-methyl pulegone was observed in suspensions of those cell lines which
are capable of pulegone transformation. Suspensions of Mentha cell lines which were incapable to hydrogenate pulegone did not biotransform the
two latter pulegone analogues.
Key word Index
Mentha
- Lamiaceae (Labiatae) - Pulegone - Cell Suspension - Unsaturated α-β Ketone - Biotransformation
1 The Irene and David Schwartz Professor of Plant Genetics
