Detection of flavonoids in microalgae from different evolutionary lineages |
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Authors: | Bart Noten Domien De Paepe Gino J. E Baart Luc De Cooman |
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Affiliation: | 1. Separation and Conversion Technology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), , Mol, 2400 Belgium;2. Technology and Food Science Unit (T&V), Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), , Merelbeke, 9820 Belgium;3. Laboratory for Genetics and Genomics, Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG) and Leuven Institute for Beer Research (LIBR), VIB Laboratory for Systems Biology, KU Leuven, , Leuven, 3001 Belgium;4. Faculty of Engineering Technology, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Cluster for Bioengineering Technology (CBeT), Laboratory of Enzyme, Fermentation and Brewing Technology (EFBT), KAHO Sint‐Lieven, KU Leuven, , Gent, 9000 Belgium |
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Abstract: | Flavonoids are important secondary plant metabolites believed to be present mainly in land plants. As phenolics were detected previously in microalgae using photometric assays, we wanted to investigate the nature of these phenolics and verify whether flavonoids are present. Therefore, in this study, we used state‐of‐the‐art ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐two‐dimensional mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐MS/MS) technology to investigate whether microalgae also contain flavonoids. For this, representative microalgal biomass samples from divergent evolutionary lineages (Cyanobacteria, Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta, Haptophyta, Ochrophyta) were screened for a set of carefully selected precursors, intermediates, and end products of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways. Our data unequivocally showed that microalgae contain a wide range of flavonoids and thus must possess the enzyme pool required for their biosynthesis. Further, some of the microalgae displayed an intricate flavonoid pattern that is compatible with the established basic flavonoid pathway as observed in higher plants. This implies that the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway arose much earlier in evolution compared to what is generally accepted. |
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Keywords: | flavonoid biosynthesis metabolic screening microalgae UHPLC‐MS/MS |
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