Advances in biosynthesis of galanthamine and huperzine A / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) isolated from plants have become the mainstream of clinical treatment for Alzheimer’s disease because of their high efficiency and low toxicity. At present, the production of galantamine and huperzine A still mainly rely on plant extraction since they are not chemically synthesized on a large scale in industry. However, with the sharp rise of social demand, the contradiction between supply and demand has become increasingly prominent due to the difficulty in cultivation and the poor abundance of effective substances. Developing new alternative resources and taking the advantage of metabolic engineering for the production of AChEIs such as galantamine and huperzine are the efficient ways to alleviate the current contradiction. Here, the current development status of alternative resources was summarized and the progress of biosynthesis of galantamine and huperzine A during the past few years was reviewed.