Advances in the application of biosynthesis and metabolic engineering of flavonoids in plants

Abstract

Flavonoids are secondary metabolites widely distributed in plants. They not only confer a wide spectrum of pigmentation to plant flowers but also protect plants from various biotic and abiotic stresses. Simultaneously, these compounds also offer health benefits to humans. Significant efforts have been made to correlate specific flavonoid production with biosynthetic pathway gene expression. Some structure genes and transcription factors that regulate the biosynthetic pathway have been identified. However, the diverse and complex control of flavonoid accumulation is still not well understood. In this mini-review, we summarized the improvement of flavonoids by genetic engineering from the aspects of flower colour, plant resistance, and benefits on the human diet. A perspective on flavonoid research in plants is provided.

The Functional Components of By-Product Resources from the Aerial Parts of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua

“…It was speculated that the leaves and flowers had some medicinal properties, such as antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer [44]. In this experiment, it was observed that the methanol extract of the four parts showed varying degrees of yellow-green, indicating the significant presence of flavonoids, which can modify flowers' colors, enhance plant resistance, and provide nutritional value for human diets [45]. However, due to the complex structure of phenolic substances, the results of using this colorimetric method are not accurate enough.…”

May phytophenolics alleviate aflatoxins-induced health challenges? A holistic insight on current landscape and future prospects

“…In another line of research, the cloning of Solanum sogarandinum 7-O-glycomethyltransferase enzyme in transgenic flax plants significantly increased the accumulation and stability of flavonoid glycosides (anthocyanidins and flavonols), leading to a higher resistance to the fungus Fusarium and improved antioxidant and oil content of GM flax ( 379 ). Further information regarding scientific investigations on ME of plants PBPs can be obtained in the available literature reviews ( 366 , 367 ). Indeed, Microbial production of PPs using GM bacterial strains have also resulted in significant over-production of these health promising metabolites ( 360 , 380 ) which can be used to expand clinical and experimental studies on PPs.…”