Biomimetic Synthesis of Resveratrol Trimers Catalyzed by Horseradish Peroxidase

Biotransformation of trans-resveratrol and synthetic (±)-ε-viniferin in aqueous acetone using horseradish peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide as oxidants resulted in the isolation of two new resveratrol trimers (3 and 4), one new resveratrol derivative (5) with a dihydrobenzofuran skeleton, together with two known stilbene trimers (6 and 7), and six known stilbene dimers (8–13). Their structures and relative configurations were identified through spectral analysis and possible formation mechanisms were also discussed. Among these oligomers, trimers 6 and 7 were obtained for the first time through direct transformation from resveratrol. Results indicated that this reaction is suitable for the preparation of resveratrol oligomers with a complex structure.