Chemistry and Biology of Farnesol and its Derivatives: Quorum Sensing Molecules with Immense Therapeutic Potential.

BACKGROUND Farnesol is an acyclic sesquiterpene alcohol, endogenously synthesized via the ergosterol pathway. It is a quorum sensing molecule (QSM) that was first discovered in C. albicans, and is involved in the inhibition of hyphae formation. METHODS This review focuses on the comprehensive details of occurrence, chemical/biological synthesis of farnesol and its derivatives, and the factors involved in the regulation of their production. Further, the review also presents their cellular functions and diversified biomedical applications. RESULTS Large-scale production of farnesol can be achieved using chemical synthesis and metabolic engineering approach. Farnesol is involved in the regulation of various physiological processes including filamentation, biofilm development, drug efflux, and apoptosis, etc. Farnesol and its derivatives/ analogues have also been reported to exhibit anti-biofilm, anti-cancer, anti-tumor and fungicidal properties. The antimicrobial potential of farnesol has been enhanced by synergizing it with known antifungal drugs, and also through nano-formulation(s). CONCLUSION Apart from its quorum sensing activity, farnesol can be used as an effective anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, ant-allergic, anti-cancerous, and anti-obesity agent.

• Publication year

  2019

• Venue

  Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry

• Publication date

  2019-01-10

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine, Chemistry

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.2174/1568026619666181210124159PMID 30526460
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• No references are available for this paper.

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