Resveratrol is an antioxidant abundant in plants like grapes and peanuts and has garnered significant attention for its potential therapeutic applications. This review explores its chemical attributes, stability, and solubility, influencing its diverse applications and bioavailability. Resveratrol's multifaceted therapeutic roles encompass: antioxidant, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anti-aging, and anticancer properties. While traditionally studied in preclinical settings, a surge in clinical trials underscores resveratrol's promise for human health. Over 250 recent clinical trials investigate its effects alone and in combination with other compounds. Commercially utilized in food, cosmetics, supplements, and pharmaceuticals, the resveratrol market is expanding, driven by microbial fermentation. Microbes offer advantages over plant extraction and chemical synthesis, providing cost-effective, pure, and sustainable production. Microbial biosynthesis can be attained from carbon sources, such as glucose or xylose, among others, which can be obtained from renewable resources or agro-industrial wastes. While Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been the most used host, non-conventional yeasts like Yarrowia lipolytica and bacteria like Escherichia coli have also demonstrated potential. Genetic modifications such as increasing acetyl-CoA/malonyl-CoA pools, boosting the shikimate pathway, or multi-copy expression of pathway genes, allied to the optimization of fermentation strategies have been promising in increasing titers. Microbial biosynthesis of resveratrol aligns with the shift toward sustainable and renewable bio-based compounds, exemplifying a circular bioeconomy. Concluding, microbial fermentation presents a promising avenue for efficient resveratrol production, driven by genetic engineering, pathway optimization, and fermentation strategies. These advances hold the key to unlocking the potential of resveratrol for diverse therapeutic applications, contributing to a greener and sustainable future.
Keywords: Resveratrol; biorefinery; metabolic engineering; microbial hosts; precision fermentation; process engineering.