SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY APPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF PLANT-BASED PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOUNDS

Abstract

Background: Plant-derived pharmaceutical compounds are widely used in modern medicine for the treatment of cancer, malaria, inflammatory disorders and neurological diseases. Conventional extraction from medicinal plants is limited by low metabolite yield, seasonal variation, depletion of biodiversity and high manufacturing cost. Synthetic biology has been identified as a sustainable alternative to improve the biosynthesis of valuable phytopharmaceuticals by engineered microbial and plant-based systems.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the contribution of synthetic biology tools for improved sustainable production of pharmaceutical compounds from plants.

Methodology: Metabolic engineering, CRISPR-Cas genome editing, synthetic gene circuit design and microbial chassis optimization were combined to increase the efficiency of the biosynthetic pathway in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli systems. The optimization of fermentation and analytical methods like HPLC, LC-MS/MS were used for the evaluation of metabolite production.

Findings: Engineered microbial systems demonstrated a dramatic enhancement of pharmaceutical compound production, with artemisinin precursor yield increasing from 10 mg/L to 250 mg/L, and cannabinoid production reaching as high as 140 mg/L. Engineered platforms reduce land use and environmental impact compared to traditional plant extraction methods.

Conclusion: Synthetic biology is a scalable, sustainable and economically viable means for producing plant-based pharmaceutical compounds with improved yield and industrial relevance.