Glucosylation of Vanillin by Cultured Plant Cells

Vanillin was converted into the corresponding glucoside in suspension-cultured cells of Ceffea arabica. The maximum efficiency of glucosylation was 85% within 24 h after the addition of 1 mM vanillin when cultured in a modified Murashige and Skoog’s medium with 5 µM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.5 µM kinetin. The glucoside was identified as 4-formyl-2-methoxyphenyl-O-β-D-glucopyranoside by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, FAB-MS, and hydrolysis by α- and β-glucosidases. It retained the antimutagenic and antimicrobial activities of vanillin.