ABSTRACT
In nature, enzyme proteins are the responsible catalysts of biochemical processes at the metabolic level. During evolution, gradual adaptation was gained to survive the environmental pressure and to support the retention of the most beneficial function. The level of many natural metabolites is far from satisfying the need of the pharmaceutical market for the production of a pure drug at a cost-effective range. The biosynthetic origin of xanthones in fungi and lichens is exclusively acetate. The scaffold is formed by the condensation of one molecule of acetyl-CoA with seven molecules of malonyl-CoA to yield an octaketide intermediate. l-phenylalanine is converted to cinnamic acid, a step of the general phenylpropanoid pathway, and cinnamoyl-CoA ends up in benzoic acid, which in turn is activated through an adenylate-activating enzyme. The variability in ecological and environmental factors and the need for certain growth conditions, developmental stages for the production of secondary metabolites inspired researchers to explore alternative sources for sustainable productions of bioactive agents.
