Life Science Journal 2013;10(4) http://www.lifesciencesite.com 970 Terpenoid and flavonoid biosynthesis in Astragalus membranaceus Jongwon Lee, Yeon Bok Kim, Md Romij Uddin, Jin Woong Cho  , Sang Un Park  Department of Crop Science, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-764, Korea Jin Woong Cho: jwcho@cnu.ac.kr (J.W. Cho) and supark@cnu.ac.kr (S.U. Park) Abstract: Many natural products are high-value chemicals, since only small quantities can be isolated from their native biosynthetic organisms with the majority of them utilized as therapeutic agents for many diseases. The advent of genomics and metagenomics has allowed not only the discovery of a huge number of new promising metabolites, but also the elucidation of their biosynthetic pathways. As a result, the use of well-characterized hosts for their efficient, large scale production is now possible. Astragalus membranaceus is a herb that has traditionally been used in a wide variety of herbal blends and 'natural' remedies in Asiatic medicine, such as Dang-gui buxue tang (Astragalus paired with Angelicae Sinensis; also known as DBT). The genus Astragalus is a very large group of more than 2,000 species distributed worldwide, and is commonly known as milkvetch root. Astragalus contains the plant pigments: formononetin, astraisoflavan, astrapterocarpan, 2’-3’- dihydroxy-7, 4’- dimethooxyisoflavone, and isoliquiritigenin. Other major constituents include D-ß-asparagine,calycosin,cycloastragenol, astragalosides, choline, betaine, kumatakenin, sucrose, glucuronic acid, ß-sitosterol 1, and soyasaponin. The flavonoid content may also contribute to cardioprotection, as flavonoids tend to possess this mechanism, and the polysacccharide content can also aid this by being a potent anti-inflammatory agent and reducing cholesterol levels in a manner similar to psyllium husk (a fiber). It has recently been investigated more into due to its heart healthy (cardioprotective) effects, its anti-inflammatory effects, and the potential for Astragalus extract to enhance longevity and lifespan. Interestingly, the traditional chinese preparation method of DBT was shown to be a very effective way of extracting the main ingredients from the plant. A few of the research has been done in astragaloside biosynthesis in A. membranaceus and was not reported any one as a review. Therefore, we summrized the information related to astragalosides biosynthesis in this review paper. The biosynthesis of terpenoid and flavonoid in Astragalus membranaceus might play a key role for commercially used in the pharmaceuticals industry both in modern and traditional uses. [Lee J, Kim YB, Uddin MR, Cho JW, Park SU. Terpenoid and flavonoid biosynthesis in Astragalus membranaceus. Life Sci J 2013;10(4):970-973]. (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com . 124 Keywords: Natural products, biosynthesis, terpenoid, flavonoid, Astragalus membranaceus Introduction Astragalus membranaceus Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao is one of the most important traditional Chinese herbs. A. membranaceus is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and has a long history of use as a traditional medicine in China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian areas. The genus Astragalus is a very large group of more than 2,000 species distributed worldwide. In Europe, for example, there are 133 Astragalus species. In North America there are 368 Astragalus species, mostly confined to the western United States and Canada. The dry root of A. membranaceus Bge. or A. membranaceus var. Mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao is grown mainly in northern China, Mongolia, and Siberia. Hwanggi has been used for centuries for general weakness, chronic illnesses, and to increase overall vitality (Wojciechowski et al., 1999). Hwanggi is an herbaceous perennial, growing to about 2 feet tall, with sprawling stems. The alternate leaves have 12–24 leaflets. Small, light yellow pea- like flowers arise from leaf axils. It is easily grown from seed, though the seed, like many legumes, has a hard coat. Currently, Hwanggi has been researching for pharmacological study, immune-stimulating polysaccharides, and other active ingredients useful in treating immune deficiency conditions. Astragalus has illustrated a wide range of potential therapeutic applications in immunodeficiency syndromes, as an adjunct cancer therapy, and for its adaptogenic effect on the heart and kidneys. Astragalus root has been used to promote immune function and as a tonic to build stamina (Wagner et al., 1997; Zheng, 2005). Terpenoid saponins The terpenoids, also called isoprenoids are one of the largest groups of natural products found in nature with over 30,000 known examples and their number is growing steadily (Davis and Croteau 2000). Triterpenes are a large group of compounds arranged in a four or five ring configuration of 30 carbons with several oxygens attached and assembled from a C5 isoprene unit through the cytosolic mevalonate pathway (Lichtenthaler et al., 1997) to make a C30 compound and are steroidal in nature. Triterpenoid