O-Demethylation and Sulfation of 7-Methoxylated Flavanones by Cunninghamella elegans

Abstract

Metabolism of 7-O-methylnaringenin (sakuranetin) by Cunninghamella elegans NRRL 1392 yielded naringenin and naringenin-4′-sulfate. C. elegans also converted 5, 3′, 4′-trihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone into eriodictyol-4′-sulfate. Furthermore, incubation of 5, 4′-dihydroxy-7, 3′-dimethoxyflavanone with the same fungus gave homoeriodictyol (5, 7, 4′-trihydroxy-3′-methoxyflavanone) and homoeriodicytol-7-sulfate. The structures of the new metabolites were established by spectral analysis including 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-FT-MS beside hydrolysis by acid.