Flavonoids: Medicinal Properties and Synthesis

Flavonoids, characterized by the flavan nucleus, form a widely distributed category of naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds found abundantly in various plants, fruits, vegetables, and leaves. They demonstrate pottial applications in medicinal chemistry, providing therapeutic advantages such as anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties.

These compounds are synthesized through the phenylpropanoid pathway. Flavonoids have gained recognition for their positive impact on factors associated with atherosclerosis, including lipoprotein oxidation, blood platelet aggregation, and vascular reactivity.

Within plant systems, flavonoids play a pivotal role in mitigating oxidative stress and regulating growth factors like auxin. Strategies have been employed to boost flavonoid production by manipulating biosynthetic genes in specific bacteria and fungi.

While the majority of flavonoids assume a crystalline solid state, flavone glycosides take the form of amorphous powder. The yellow color prevalent in most flavonoids is attributed to the presence of a cross-conjugation system in their molecular structure.

Flavonoids manifest in diverse forms, encompassing aglycones, glycosides, and methylated derivatives. Essentially, the foundational structure of flavonoids is the aglycone.
Flavonoids: Medicinal Properties and Synthesis