Synthesis of vicinal diols from various arenes with a heterocyclic, amino or carboxyl group by using recombinant Escherichia coli cells expressing evolved biphenyl dioxygenase and dihydrodiol dehydrogenase genes

Various aromatic molecules, in which heterocycles are linked with a phenyl or benzyl group, were converted to their respective 2,3-diols (catechols) in the benzene ring by growing cell reactions using recombinant Escherichia coli, which expressed the evolved biphenyl dioxygenase [bphA (2072)] genes and the subsequent bacterial dihydrodiol dehydrogenase (bphB) gene. These vicinal diol products showed strong in vitro inhibitory activity against the lipid peroxidation induced by free radicals and strong scavenging activity towards DPPH radicals. The vicinal diols were also synthesized from ionized monocyclic aromatics incorporating an amino or carboxyl group.