Biosynthesis of Acetylenic Compounds in Cultured Cells of Asparagus officinalis from [1-¹³C]-and [U-¹³C] Glucose

Abstract

The biosynthetic pathway of phenolics with an acetylenic group, 4-[5-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-3-penten-1-ynyl] phenol (1) and its related compounds, isolated from suspension-cultured cells of Asparagus officinalis L. (Liliaceae), was studied in feeding experiments using [1-¹³C]-and [U-¹³C] glucose. Analyses of the ¹³C-NMR spectra of the methyl ether and acetate of the ¹³C-labelled species of 1 indicated that the aromatic rings at both ends of the molecule are formed from shikimic acid. It was also assumed that the acetylenic carbons in the C₅ chain could be incorporated together with its adjacent aromatic ring through any phenethyl class compound derived from phenylpropanoids, and the propenylene carbon through glycolysis metabolites with C₃ carbon units.