Flavonoids and their glycosides are abundant in many plant-based foods. The (de)glycosylation of flavonoids by retaining glycoside hydrolases has recently attracted much interest in basic and applied research, including the possibility of altering the glycosylation pattern of flavonoids. Research in this area is driven by significant differences in physicochemical, organoleptic, and bioactive properties between flavonoid aglycones and their glycosylated counterparts. While many flavonoid glycosides are present in nature at low levels, some occur in substantial quantities, making them readily available low-cost glycosyl donors for transglycosylations. Retaining glycosidases can be used to synthesize natural and novel glycosides, which serve as standards for bioactivity experiments and analyses, using flavonoid glycosides as glycosyl donors. Engineered glycosidases also prove valuable for the synthesis of flavonoid glycosides using chemically synthesized activated glycosyl donors. This review outlines the bioactivities of flavonoids and their glycosides and highlights the applications of retaining glycosidases in the context of flavonoid glycosides, acting as substrates, products, or glycosyl donors in deglycosylation or transglycosylation reactions.

• Keywords
• Glucosidase, Glycoside hydrolase, Glycosyl donor, Glycosynthase, Hydrolysis, Rutinosidase, Transglycosylation,
• MeSH
• Flavonoids * chemistry   MeSH
• Glycoside Hydrolases * metabolism   MeSH
• Glycosides chemistry   MeSH
• Glycosylation MeSH
• Catalysis MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Flavonoids * MeSH
• Glycoside Hydrolases * MeSH
• Glycosides MeSH

Rutinosidases (α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-6)-β-d-glucopyranosidases, EC 3.2.1.168, CAZy GH5) are diglycosidases that cleave the glycosidic bond between the disaccharide rutinose and the respective aglycone. Similar to many retaining glycosidases, rutinosidases can also transfer the rutinosyl moiety onto acceptors with a free -OH group (so-called transglycosylation). The recombinant rutinosidase from Aspergillus niger (AnRut) is selectively produced in Pichia pastoris. It can catalyze transglycosylation reactions as an unpurified preparation directly from cultivation. This enzyme exhibits catalytic activity towards two substrates; in addition to rutinosidase activity, it also exhibits β-d-glucopyranosidase activity. As a result, new compounds are formed by β-glucosylation or rutinosylation of acceptors such as alcohols or strong inorganic nucleophiles (NaN3). Transglycosylation products with aliphatic aglycones are resistant towards cleavage by rutinosidase, therefore, their side hydrolysis does not occur, allowing higher transglycosylation yields. Fourteen compounds were synthesized by glucosylation or rutinosylation of selected acceptors. The products were isolated and structurally characterized. Interactions between the transglycosylation products and the recombinant AnRut were analyzed by molecular modeling. We revealed the role of a substrate tunnel in the structure of AnRut, which explained the unusual catalytic properties of this glycosidase and its specific transglycosylation potential. AnRut is attractive for biosynthetic applications, especially for the use of inexpensive substrates (rutin and isoquercitrin).

• Keywords
• azide, glycosylation, molecular modeling, rutinosidase, tunnel,
• MeSH
• Aspergillus niger enzymology   MeSH
• Disaccharides chemistry   metabolism   MeSH
• Fungal Proteins chemistry   metabolism   MeSH
• Glycoside Hydrolases chemistry   metabolism   MeSH
• Glycosylation MeSH
• Hydrolysis MeSH
• Catalytic Domain MeSH
• Recombinant Proteins metabolism   MeSH
• Rutin chemistry   metabolism   MeSH
• Molecular Docking Simulation MeSH
• Substrate Specificity MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Disaccharides MeSH
• Fungal Proteins MeSH
• Glycoside Hydrolases MeSH
• Recombinant Proteins MeSH
• Rutin MeSH
• rutinose MeSH Browser

Natural flavonoids, especially in their glycosylated forms, are the most abundant phenolic compounds found in plants, fruit, and vegetables. They exhibit a large variety of beneficial physiological effects, which makes them generally interesting in a broad spectrum of scientific areas. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the modifications of the glycosidic parts of various flavonoids employing glycosidases, covering both selective trimming of the sugar moieties and glycosylation of flavonoid aglycones by natural and mutant glycosidases. Glycosylation of flavonoids strongly enhances their water solubility and thus increases their bioavailability. Antioxidant and most biological activities are usually less pronounced in glycosides, but some specific bioactivities are enhanced. The presence of l-rhamnose (6-deoxy-α-l-mannopyranose) in rhamnosides, rutinosides (rutin, hesperidin) and neohesperidosides (naringin) plays an important role in properties of flavonoid glycosides, which can be considered as "pro-drugs". The natural hydrolytic activity of glycosidases is widely employed in biotechnological deglycosylation processes producing respective aglycones or partially deglycosylated flavonoids. Moreover, deglycosylation is quite commonly used in the food industry aiming at the improvement of sensoric properties of beverages such as debittering of citrus juices or enhancement of wine aromas. Therefore, natural and mutant glycosidases are excellent tools for modifications of flavonoid glycosides.

• Keywords
• catechin, enzymatic hydrolysis, hesperetin, icariin, naringenin, puerarin, quercetin, rhamnosidase, rutinosidase, transglycosylation,
• MeSH
• Flavonoids metabolism   MeSH
• Glycoside Hydrolases metabolism   MeSH
• Isoflavones metabolism   MeSH
• Catechin metabolism   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Quercetin metabolism   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Flavonoids MeSH
• Glycoside Hydrolases MeSH
• Isoflavones MeSH
• Catechin MeSH
• puerarin MeSH Browser
• Quercetin MeSH