Enzymatic Synthesis of 4′-and 3′, 4′ -Hydroxylated Flavanones and Flavones with Flower Extracts of Sinningia cardinalis

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Abstract
Flowers of Sinningia (syn. Rechsteineria) cardinalis contain glycosides of the flavones apigenin (4′-OH) and luteolin (3′,4′-OH) respectively, and of the related 3-deoxyanthocyanidins apigeninidin and luteolinidin. Studies on substrate specificity of the key enzyme of flavonoid biosynthesis, chalcone synthase, revealed that the 3′,4′-hydroxylated flavonoids are formed by hydroxylation of flavonoid compounds rather than by incorporation of caffeoyl-CoA into the flavonoid skeleton during the condensation reaction. In fact, flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase activity could be demonstrat­ed in the microsomal fraction of the flower extracts. The enzyme catalyses hydroxylation of naringenin and apigenin in the 3′-position to eriodictyol and luteolin, respectively, with NADPH as cofactor. Besides flavanone 3′-hydroxylase a further NADPH-dependent enzyme activity (flavone synthase II) was observed in the microsomal fraction catalysing the oxidation of naringenin to apigenin and of eriodictyol to luteolin. The Cytochrome P-450 inhibitor ancymidol was found to abolish completely flavone synthase II activity, whereas flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase activity was not impaired.

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