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Pol J Cosmetol 2012, 15(3): 151-162en  Possibilities of arbutin production using plant biotechnology methodsHalina Ekiert, Inga Kwiecień, Agnieszka Szopa, Bożena Muszyńska Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Kraków, Poland Summary Arbutin, hydroquinone β-D-glucoside, a known inhibitor of tyrosinase successfully used for the production of skin lightening cosmetics occurs in plants belonging to different taxons, including the families Ericaceae, Saxifragaceae, Rosaceae. European plant species, which are the richest source of this compound, Arctostaphylos uva ursi (L.) Spreng. (bearberry), Vaccinium vitis idaea L. (red bilberry) representatives of the family Ericaceae are legally protected. Attempts of commercial cultivation of these plants were still not successful. Therefore, alternative sources of arbutin have been searched for since a long time. Chemical synthesis of arbutin is possible but is comprised of three steps. Microorganisms are able to produce the isomeric compound - hydroquinone α-D-glucoside, the so-called α-arbutin. The aim of this article is to present possibilities of arbutin production using different methods of plant biotechnology (plant micropropagation, endogenous production of secondary metabolites in in vitro cultures, biotransformations of exogenous substrates, genetic transformation of plants). Literature review indicates that the greatest success was achieved using enzymatic potential of in vitro cultured plant cells of different taxons to transform exogenous substrates, mostly hydroquinone to its β-D-glucoside, arbutin. The research team of the Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, JU MC, has also contributed much to the studies in this field. Key words: arbutin, biotransformations, "hairy root" cultures, hydroquinone, micropropagation, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, plant in vitro cultures |