Abstract
SEVERAL workers have shown that lignin and the ‘B ring’ of flavonoids are formed in vivo from shikimic acid and certain C6C3 compounds. The latter compounds are frequently encountered in plant tissues1. The ‘A ring’ of flavonoids appears to arise from acetate units2. However, the occurrence of the free ‘A ring’ or simple derivatives of it have rarely been reported. We have found that on acid treatment kinos yield phloroglucinol, but bark and wood polyphenols do not.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Bate-Smith, E. C., Sci. Proc. Roy. Dublin Soc., 27, 165 (1956).
Watkin, J. E., Underbill, E. W., and Neish, A. C., Canad. J. Biochem. Physiol., 35, 229 (1957). Geissman, T. A., and Swain, T., Chem. and Indust., 984 (1957). These contain references to earlier work.
Swain, T., Biochem. J., 53, 200 (1952).
Bate-Smith, E. C., and Swain, T., Chem. and Indust., 377 (1953).
Hoerhammer, L., Wagner, H., and Leeb, W., Naturwiss., 44, 513 (1957).
Bate-Smith, E. C., Biochem. J., 58, 122 (1954).
Harborne, J. B., J. Chromat., 1, 473 (1958).
Hillis, W. E., and Carle, Ann, Biochem. J. (in the press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
HILLIS, W. Biosynthesis of Flavonoids. Nature 186, 635 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/186635a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/186635a0
This article is cited by
-
A fungal NRPS-PKS enzyme catalyses the formation of the flavonoid naringenin
Nature Communications (2022)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.