Flavan-3-ol Biosynthesis

Extracts of callus or cell suspension cultures from petioles of Ginkgo biloba catalyzed the production of (+)-gallocatechin (2,3-trans-3,5,7,3',4',5'-hexahydroxy-flavan) from (+)-dihydromyricetin (5'-hydroxy-dihydroquercetin) along with the expected 3,4-cis-diol intermediate, leucodelphinidin, in a NADPH-dependent double-step reductase reaction at pH 7.4. The latter diol, isolated from the above incubation mixture, produced (+)-gallocatechin in a NADPH-dependent reaction. Extracts from tissue cultures derived from needles of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) also produced significant amounts of the 3,4-diol from dihydromyricetin. (+)-Dihydromyricetin, purified via paper chromatography from leaves of Leptarrhena pyrolifolia, was reduced by NaBH(4) to the presumed 3,4-trans-diol and acid epimerized to the 3,4-cis-diol.