Biotransformations of Turpentine Constituents : Oxygenation and Esterification

• Main Author: Lindmark-Henriksson, Marica
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: KTH, Kemi 2003
• Subjects: Picea abies; Pinaceae; Essential oils composition; Terpene alcohol; Hemiacetal; Hemiacetal ester; TMP-turpentine; Monoterpene; alpha-pinene; beta-pinene; Limonene; Verbenol; Pinocarveol; Borneol; Myrtenol; Suspension cell culture; Biotransformation; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-3529

This thesis describes methods to obtain value–addedcompounds from TMP-turpentine obtained from the spruce, Piceaabies. The methodology focuses on biotransformations using twoapproaches: an oxygenation approach (i.e. oxygenation ofterpene hydrocarbons by cell cultures) and an esterificationapproach (i.e. lipase-catalysed transesterification of vinylacetate with terpene alcohols, and a further fractionation ofthe TMP-turpentine). The main constituents of the turpentine, a-pinene, b-pineneand limonene, were subjected to a P. abies suspension culture.Allylic oxidation formed the major products for α-pineneand β-pinene, which were further oxidised to theirrespective aldehyde or ketone. One of the minor products froma-pinene, cis-verbenol, was not only transformed into verbenonebut also isomerised to trans-verbenol. Limonene gavelimonene-(1,2)-epoxide as the major product. Fractionation of monoterpenes is accomplished throughphysical separation methods, chromatography and distillation,and lipase-catalysed transesterification of vinyl acetate withterpene alcohols. The esters of myrtenol and trans-pinocarveolwere separated from the more slowly reacting alcohols such asborneol and carveol by use of a combination of the Mucor mieheilipase and Candida antarctica lipase A as catalysts.Furthermore, the non-reacting tertiary terpene alcohols wereseparated from the reacting alcohols in a single step byCandida antarctica lipase A. Lipase-catalysed (Candida antarctica lipase B andPseudomonas cepacia lipase) transesterification of vinylacetate with sterically hindered secondary alcoholsunexpectedly yielded hemiacetals or hemiacetal esters. Thereaction conditions required to obtain these side products havebeen studied. Keywords: Picea abies, Pinaceae, Essential oilscomposition; Terpene alcohol; Hemiacetal; Hemiacetal ester,TMP-turpentine; Monoterpene; α-Pinene; β-Pinene;Limonene; Verbenol; Pinocarveol; Borneol; Myrtenol; Suspensioncell culture; Biotransformation; Lipase-catalysed; Oxidation;Allylic oxidation; ...