Flavonoid secondary metabolite: Biosynthesis and role in growth and development in plants

Abstract

Flavonoids are main class of secondary metabolites and occur in different tissues and organs in diverse plant species. The higher accumulation of flavonoids in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables increases their economical value because flavonoids are good for human health. It has been established that flavonoids help the plants to protect against adverse environmental constraints and have not played a significant role in plant growth and development. A number of recent reports provided strong evidences in support of significant role of flavonoids in growth and development. The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway and review the significant contribution of flavonoids in growth and development of plants. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the role of flavonoids and is useful for further manipulation of flavonoids for growth and development of wide types of plant species.