Determination of Biosynthetic Pathway of Decursin in Hairy Root Culture of Angelica gigas

To establish the biosynthetic pathway of decursin in Angelica gigas Nakai, feeding experiment with stable isotope-labeled precursors were conducted. Umbelliferone and decursin were labeled with deuterium at C-3. The umbelliferone, the decursin, and other commercially available putative precursors, L-phenylalanine-ring- and trans-cinnamic acid-, were fed to the hairy root culture of A. gigas. Each deuterated compound was incorporated into decursinol, decursinol angelate, and decursin as determined by mass spectrometric analysis. These findings confirmed the coumarin biosynthesis pathway sequence is composed of phenylalanine, cinnamic acid, umbelliferone, decursinol, and decursin.