Biotransformation of Citronellol in Rose Oxide by Pseudomonas Spp.

Abstract

Rose oxide, a flavour-impact component, occurs in traces in some essential plant oils, such as Bulgarian rose oil, and it is considered one of the most important fragrance materials in creating rosy notes for perfumery. The biotechnological production of rose oxide by using citronellol as a precursor in biotransformation processes has called particular attention as an alternative to chemical synthesis and extraction from natural sources. The biotransformation of citronellol by strains of Pseudomonas spp. was reported in this paper. The main bioconversion products were cis- and trans-rose oxides, reaching the yield of 29.67 mg/L. In citotoxicity tests, the strain showed impressive terpene resistance, growing under high concentrations of citronellol. Auto-oxidation products were not detected in the control experiments. Thus, rose oxide production by Pseudomonas spp. appeared as a promising alternative for commercial production of this bioflavour.