flavonoid
or flavoneOrganic compound, any member of a class of biological pigments containing no nitrogen that are found in many plants. They include anthoxanthins, which give yellow colours, often to flower petals, and anthocyanins, largely responsible for the red colouring of buds and young shoots and the purple and purple-red colours of autumn leaves. Their biological function is unknown; they may attract pollinators and seed dispersers.
flavonoid [′fla·və‚nȯid]
Flavonoid
A large category of natural plant products that derive from γ-pyrone. All flavonoid compounds, which are derived from either 2-phenylbenzopyrone (structure 1 ) or 3-phenylbenzopyrone ( 2 ), can be classified into 10 groups: chalcones, flavanones, flavones, flavonols, anthocyanidins (flavylium cations), flavan 3-ols (catechins), flavan 3,4-diols (proanthocyanidins), biflavonoids and oligomeric flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and the aurones. They differ in the oxidation level or substitution pattern of their heterocyclic ring (ring C).
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More than 1300 different flavonoid compounds have been isolated from plants. Individual flavonoids in a group differ from each other by the number and position of the hydroxy, methoxy, and sugar substituents. As a rule, flavonoid compounds occur in plants as glycosides, with hexoses such as glucose, galactose, and rhamnose, and pentoses such as arabinose and xylose as the most commonly found sugars. The sugars can be attached singly or in combination with each other. Glycosylation renders these compounds water-soluble and permits their accumulation in the vacuoles of cells. See Glycoside
The few reports available indicate that flavonoids accumulate in epidermal tissues, with approximately 70% in the upper and 30% in the lower epidermis. Vacuoles are probably the only site of flavonoid accumulation in the cells, but synthesis of flavonoids takes place in the cytoplasm.
Flavonoid compounds were once regarded as stray end products of metabolism, but some are now known to be physiologically active. For example, a number of flavonoid compounds were discovered to be the host-specific signal molecules in the formation of nitrogen-fixing root modules. In addition, flavonoids have been linked to protection from ultraviolet radiation. The enzymatic machinery for flavonoid production is induced by ultraviolet irradiation. Flavonoids accumulate in the vacuoles of epidermal cells and absorb light strongly in the critical range of 280–380 nm, where damage caused by ultraviolet radiation occurs. Finally, many plant species synthesize phytoalexins upon invasion by microorganisms. The majority of phytoalexins produced by legumes are isoflavonoids, and each plant species seems to produce a specific compound.
Because of their strikingly vivid color, ranging from deep red through purple to deep blue, anthocyanins represent the most visible class of flavonoid compounds. Anthocyanins are most obvious in flowers and fruits, but they are also present in roots, stems, leaves, seeds, and other parts of the plant. The accumulated anthocyanins, together with carotenes, provide the varied colors characteristic of autumn. Anthocyanins are also produced when plants are subjected to other stress, such as ultraviolet radiation, injury by insects, malnutrition, or unusual concentrations of metal. See Plant metabolism
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