Sustainable (–)-Ambrox Production: Chemistry Meets Biocatalysis

(–)-Ambrox, the most prominent olfactive component of ambergris, is one of the most widely used biodegradable fragrance ingredients. It is traditionally produced from the diterpene sclareol chemically modified and cyclized into (–)-ambrox. The availability of the new feedstock (E)-β-farnesene produc...

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Main Authors: Eric Eichhorn, Boris Schilling, Agnes Bombrun, Fridtjof Schroeder
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Swiss Chemical Society 2024-08-01
Series:CHIMIA
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Online Access:https://www.chimia.ch/chimia/article/view/7343
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author Eric Eichhorn
Boris Schilling
Agnes Bombrun
Fridtjof Schroeder
author_facet Eric Eichhorn
Boris Schilling
Agnes Bombrun
Fridtjof Schroeder
author_sort Eric Eichhorn
collection DOAJ
description (–)-Ambrox, the most prominent olfactive component of ambergris, is one of the most widely used biodegradable fragrance ingredients. It is traditionally produced from the diterpene sclareol chemically modified and cyclized into (–)-ambrox. The availability of the new feedstock (E)-β-farnesene produced by fermentation opened new routes to (E,E)-homofarnesol as a precursor to (–)-ambrox. Combining the chemical transformation of (E)-β-farnesene to (E,E)-homofarnesol and its enzymatic cyclization with an engineered Squalene Hopene Cyclase provided a new sustainable route for the production of (–)-ambrox at industrial scale. Compared to the traditional synthesis from sclareol, the new and innovative route from (E)-β-farnesene improves atom and step economy, reduces waste production, solvent and energy consumption.
format Article
id doaj-art-04d38143bcdf44e382daaf368d9649af
institution OA Journals
issn 0009-4293
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language deu
publishDate 2024-08-01
publisher Swiss Chemical Society
record_format Article
series CHIMIA
spelling doaj-art-04d38143bcdf44e382daaf368d9649af2025-08-20T01:47:42ZdeuSwiss Chemical SocietyCHIMIA0009-42932673-24242024-08-01787-810.2533/chimia.2024.468Sustainable (–)-Ambrox Production: Chemistry Meets BiocatalysisEric Eichhorn0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2113-6305Boris Schilling1Agnes Bombrun2Fridtjof Schroeder3Givaudan Schweiz AG, Kemptpark 50, CH-8310 Kemptthal, SwitzerlandGivaudan Schweiz AG, Kemptpark 50, CH-8310 Kemptthal, SwitzerlandGivaudan Schweiz AG, Kemptpark 50, CH-8310 Kemptthal, SwitzerlandGivaudan Schweiz AG, Kemptpark 50, CH-8310 Kemptthal, Switzerland(–)-Ambrox, the most prominent olfactive component of ambergris, is one of the most widely used biodegradable fragrance ingredients. It is traditionally produced from the diterpene sclareol chemically modified and cyclized into (–)-ambrox. The availability of the new feedstock (E)-β-farnesene produced by fermentation opened new routes to (E,E)-homofarnesol as a precursor to (–)-ambrox. Combining the chemical transformation of (E)-β-farnesene to (E,E)-homofarnesol and its enzymatic cyclization with an engineered Squalene Hopene Cyclase provided a new sustainable route for the production of (–)-ambrox at industrial scale. Compared to the traditional synthesis from sclareol, the new and innovative route from (E)-β-farnesene improves atom and step economy, reduces waste production, solvent and energy consumption. https://www.chimia.ch/chimia/article/view/7343(-)-AmbroxBiocatalysisFarneseneHomofarnesolSqualene Hopene Cyclase
spellingShingle Eric Eichhorn
Boris Schilling
Agnes Bombrun
Fridtjof Schroeder
Sustainable (–)-Ambrox Production: Chemistry Meets Biocatalysis
CHIMIA
(-)-Ambrox
Biocatalysis
Farnesene
Homofarnesol
Squalene Hopene Cyclase
title Sustainable (–)-Ambrox Production: Chemistry Meets Biocatalysis
title_full Sustainable (–)-Ambrox Production: Chemistry Meets Biocatalysis
title_fullStr Sustainable (–)-Ambrox Production: Chemistry Meets Biocatalysis
title_full_unstemmed Sustainable (–)-Ambrox Production: Chemistry Meets Biocatalysis
title_short Sustainable (–)-Ambrox Production: Chemistry Meets Biocatalysis
title_sort sustainable ambrox production chemistry meets biocatalysis
topic (-)-Ambrox
Biocatalysis
Farnesene
Homofarnesol
Squalene Hopene Cyclase
url https://www.chimia.ch/chimia/article/view/7343
work_keys_str_mv AT ericeichhorn sustainableambroxproductionchemistrymeetsbiocatalysis
AT borisschilling sustainableambroxproductionchemistrymeetsbiocatalysis
AT agnesbombrun sustainableambroxproductionchemistrymeetsbiocatalysis
AT fridtjofschroeder sustainableambroxproductionchemistrymeetsbiocatalysis