A new study revealed the secret of how plants produce limonoids, a group of valuable organic chemicals. These chemical substances, including insecticides that are safe for bees, can potentially be used as anticancer preparations. 

The John Innes Center and Stanford University have joined forces to form a research group and use innovative methods to reveal the pathways of biosynthesis of these valuable molecules. Limonoids are produced by certain families of plants, including redwood and citrus. Research results are published by SciTechDaily. 

The John Innes Center research group used genomic tools to map the genome of cypress ( Melia azedarach ), a red tree species, and combined it with molecular analysis to identify enzymes in the biosynthesis pathway. 

Until now, limonoids could only be obtained by extraction from plant raw materials. 

Dr. Hodgson explains: "Their structures are too complex to be effectively created with the help of chemical synthesis. Having opened the technology of biosynthesis, it is possible to use donor plants for the production of these compounds." 

Researchers can now produce chemical substances from frequently used donor plants, such as Nicotiana benthamiana. This method can produce more limonoids in a more sustainable way. 

An increase in the supply of limonoids may allow more extensive use of azadirachtin, a limonoid against insects obtained from the neem tree and used in commercial and traditional plant protection products. Azadirachtin is an effective, rapidly decomposing and safe plant protection agent for bees, but it has not been widely distributed due to limited supplies. 

A team of scientists made two relatively simple limonoids, azadirone from a Chinese berry and kihadalactone A from citrus, and believes that the methods used here can now be used as a template for creating more complex triterpenes. 

Another example of a valuable limonoid, which the team hopes to produce, is a candidate for the anti-cancer drugs nimbolide. This work can facilitate access to limonoids, such as nimbolide, for further study. The research group says that in addition to the production of well-known products, such as nimbolide, an opportunity to understand new actions of limonoids, which have not yet been investigated, can be opened.