Microbial Bioprospecting for Nutraceuticals as Novel Therapeutics

Nutraceuticals have become increasingly popular due to their potential health benefits and disease prevention properties, resulting in the market value of nutraceuticals reaching several billion dollars. However, limitations in supply and isolation of nutraceuticals from natural sources hinder large-scale production. Fortunately, microbial engineering at the metabolic level has emerged as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical synthesis. Microbial engineering offers a promising solution to the challenges of nutraceutical production, providing a sustainable and efficient way to produce a wide range of nutraceuticals that can improve human health and prevent disease. With ongoing research and development, the potential of microbial bioprospecting for nutraceutical production is expected to continue to expand, opening up new opportunities for the industry and consumers alike. Microbial systems like E. coli and S. cerevisiae have been modified as versatile cell factories for synthesizing a wide range of nutraceuticals. This chapter focuses on current interventions in metabolic engineering for synthesizing therapeutically important nutraceuticals, including phytochemicals, prebiotics, PUFA’s, polysaccharides, and polyamino acids. The review also covers the challenges and future outlook of commercial production of nutraceuticals through microbial bioprospecting.