title: Flavones: From Biosynthesis to Health Benefits.
abstract: Flavones correspond to a flavonoid subgroup that is widely distributed in the plants, and which can be synthesized by different pathways, depending on whether they contain C- or O-glycosylation and hydroxylated B-ring. Flavones are emerging as very important specialized metabolites involved in plant signaling and defense, as well as key ingredients of the human diet, with significant health benefits. Here, we appraise flavone formation in plants, emphasizing the emerging theme that biosynthesis pathway determines flavone chemistry. Additionally, we briefly review the biological activities of flavones, both from the perspective of the functions that they play in biotic and abiotic plant interactions, as well as their roles as nutraceutical components of the human and animal diet.
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Plant Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. jiang.1359@osu.edu.|Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. jiang.1359@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. doseff.1@osu.edu.|Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, 305B Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. doseff.1@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Andrea I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Doseff
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Plant Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. grotewold.1@osu.edu.|Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. grotewold.1@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grotewold
keywords: C-glycosyl transferases; Fe2+/2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases; biological activities; cytochrome P-450; flavone; flavone synthase; health benefits