Flavonoids are the coloured pigments commonly found in various fruits and vegetables.
Basically these are a group of polyphenolic compounds characterized by a benzo-y- pyrone
structure synthesised from phenylalanine.
Flavonoids are widely disributed in fruits.
Flavonoids come from Latin word flavus which means yellow; however some flavonoids are
red, purple, blue or white.
Best sources rich in flavonoids are berries, red wine, onion, grains,
barks, roots, stems, flowers, tea and soy products. Fruits and vegetables contain a multitude
of flavonoids and related phenolic compounds that also act as natural antioxidants.
Primarily flavonoids were recognized as the pigments responsible for the many shades of
yellow, orange, and red in flowers and food. The original "flavonoid" research apparently
began in 1930, when Albert Szent- Gyorgi isolated a substance from oranges and named it as
vitamin P and later it was termed as flavonoid.
The flavonoids are known as nutraceutical ingredients. The flavonoids have high chemical
reactivity and can easily chelate with heavy metal ions, bind the biological polymers, catalyze
the electron transport and scavenge free radicals. These have also long been recognized to
possess anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, hepato-protective, anti-thrombotic, antiviral, and
anti-carcinogenic activities.
Do you know, flavonoids are found in Mangoes?
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