The Sempervivum genus, a model for the characterization and the development of original natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES) – SemperDES

Based on the IdEx NADESGENE and HeliDES obtained in 2021 and 2024 and on encouraging preliminary results, the biosinpired project SemperDES brings together academic and indutrial partners in natural products and extractive chemistry, physical chemistry, toxicology and biotechnology in order to cover up to TRL 5-6 the development of novel natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDES).
Thus, following the identification of 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol (2ME) and its NaDES-like behavior in extracts of Sempervivum species, the objectives are: 1-to detect and to quantify 2ME and derivatives within other species of the botanical family Crassulaceae, 2-to isolate these compounds, alone or as NaDES mixtures and to proceed to their physicochemical characterization, 3-to evaluate a putative but unlikely toxicity, 4-to achieve the lab-scale heterologous expression in Escherichia coli of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-phosphate (DXP) and ME-phosphate (MEP), biosynthetic precursors of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose (1DX) and 2ME, based on the plasmid constructs of the first two genes of the MEP pathway, 5-to proceed to the high-volume development of the bioproduction of DXP, and MEP followed by the obtainment of 1DX and 2ME (by service provision), 6-to design original NaDES as solvents for ultrasound- or microwave-assisted plants and microalgae eco-extraction at bench and pilot-scale.
Special care will be taken to limit the environmental impact of the various activities, in particular by using centrifugal partition chromatography, a virtuous technique for extracts fractionation and compounds isolation, adsorption resin process and implementation of simple enzymatic hydrolysis.
This search for original non-toxic biocompatible solvents is part of a realistic approach to sustainable development and to the provision of tools for green chemistry. Moreover, the potential patentable applications are numerous in the fields of health, cosmetics and food, supported by the involvement of the industrial partner Gattefossé. This work is accompanied by more fundamental aspects aimed at better understanding the mechanisms by which plant species adapt to arid environments, a major societal challenge of the 21st century in the context of global climate change.