Flavonoid

Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word flavus, meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants. Blackberry, black currant, chokeberry, and red cabbage are examples of plants with rich contents of flavonoids. In plant biology, flavonoids fulfill diverse functions, including attraction of pollinating insects, antioxidant protection against ultraviolet light, deterrence of environmental stresses and pathogens, and regulation of cell growth.[1][2]

Although commonly consumed in human and animal plant foods and in dietary supplements, flavonoids are not considered to be nutrients or biological antioxidants essential to body functions, and have no established effects on human health or prevention of diseases.[1][2][3]

Chemically, flavonoids have the general structure of a 15-carbon skeleton, which consists of two phenyl rings (A and B) and a heterocyclic ring (C, the ring containing the embedded oxygen).[1][4] This carbon structure can be abbreviated C6-C3-C6. According to the IUPAC nomenclature, they can be classified into flavonoids or bioflavonoids, isoflavonoids, derived from 3-phenylchromen-4-one (3-phenyl-1,4-benzopyrone) structure, and neoflavonoids, derived from 4-phenylcoumarin (4-phenyl-1,2-benzopyrone) structure.[5]

As ketone-containing compounds, the three flavonoid classes are grouped as anthoxanthins (flavones and flavonols).[1] This class was the first to be termed bioflavonoids. The terms flavonoid and bioflavonoid have also been more loosely used to describe non-ketone polyhydroxy polyphenol compounds, which are more specifically termed flavanoids.[4]

  1. ^ a b c d "Flavonoids". Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon. 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b Hollman PC, Cassidy A, Comte B, et al. (May 2011). "The biological relevance of direct antioxidant effects of polyphenols for cardiovascular health in humans is not established". The Journal of Nutrition. 141 (5): 989S – 1009S. doi:10.3945/jn.110.131490. PMID 21451125.
  3. ^ Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies, European Food Safety Authority (8 April 2011). "Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to: flavonoids and ascorbic acid in fruit juices, including berry juices (ID 1186); flavonoids from citrus (ID 1471); flavonoids from Citrus paradisi Macfad. (ID 3324, 3325); flavonoids (ID 1470, 1693, 1920); flavonoids in cranberry juice (ID 1804); carotenoids (ID 1496, 1621, 1622, 1796); polyphenols (ID 1636, 1637, 1640, 1641, 1642, 1643); rye bread (ID 1179); protein hydrolysate (ID 1646); carbohydrates with a low/reduced glycaemic load (ID 476, 477, 478, 479, 602) and carbohydrates which induce a low/reduced glycaemic response (ID 727, 1122, 1171); alfalfa (ID 1361, 2585, 2722, 2793); caffeinated carbohydrate‐containing energy drinks (ID 1272); and soups (ID 1132, 1133) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006". EFSA Journal. 9 (4). doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2082.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b de Souza Farias SA, da Costa KS, Martins JB (April 2021). "Analysis of Conformational, Structural, Magnetic, and Electronic Properties Related to Antioxidant Activity: Revisiting Flavan, Anthocyanidin, Flavanone, Flavonol, Isoflavone, Flavone, and Flavan-3-ol". ACS Omega. 6 (13): 8908–8918. doi:10.1021/acsomega.0c06156. PMC 8028018. PMID 33842761.
  5. ^ McNaught AD, Wilkinson A (1997), IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology (2nd ed.), Oxford: Blackwell Scientific, doi:10.1351/goldbook.F02424, ISBN 978-0-9678550-9-7
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