Neoflavonoids are a class of polyphenolic compounds. While

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

s (in the narrow sense) have the 2-phenylchromen-4-one backbone, neoflavonoids have the 4-phenylchromen backbone with no hydroxyl group substitution at position 2.

Types

Neoflavonoids include 4-arylcoumarins (neoflavones), 4-arylchromanes, dalbergiones and dalbergiquinols. * Neoflavones are derived from the 4-phenylcoumarin (or 4-aryl-

coumarin Coumarin () or 2''H''-chromen-2-one is an aromatic organic chemical compound with formula . Its molecule can be described as a benzene molecule with two adjacent hydrogen atoms replaced by a lactone-like chain , forming a second six-membered h ...

) backbone (C₁₅H₁₂O₂). The first neoflavone isolated from natural sources was calophyllolide from ''

Calophyllum inophyllum ''Calophyllum inophyllum'' is a large evergreen plant, commonly called tamanu, oil-nut, mastwood, beach calophyllum or beautyleaf. It is native to tropical Asia and Wallacea. Due to its importance as a source of timber for the traditional shipbu ...

'' seeds (1951). It is also known to found in bark and timber of Sri Lankan endemic plant ''

Mesua thwaitesii ''Mesua thwaitesii'', is a plant species in the family Calophyllaceae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka, where Sinhalese people called "Diya Nā - දිය නා". The plant is highly valuable as a medicinal plant within the country. Chemistry Timb ...

''. * Neoflavenes possess the 4-phenylchromen backbone (C₁₅H₁₀O₂).

Dalbergichromene Dalbergichromene is a neoflavene, a type of neoflavonoid (a polyphenolic compound). Dalbergichromene can be extracted from the stem-bark and heartwood of ''Dalbergia sissoo''. It has also been synthesized from vanillin Vanillin is an organic ...

, extracted from the stem-bark and heartwood of ''

Dalbergia sissoo ''Dalbergia sissoo'', known commonly as North Indian rosewood or ''shisham'', is a fast-growing, hardy, deciduous rosewood tree native to the Indian subcontinent and southern Iran. ''D. sissoo'' is a large, crooked tree with long, leathery leav ...

'', is an example of such compounds

Other examples

* Coutareagenin (5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2H-benzo-1-pyran-2-on) found in ''

Hintonia latiflora ''Hintonia latiflora'' is a plant species in the genus '' Hintonia''. ''Hintonia latiflora'' contains the neoflavonoid Neoflavonoids are a class of polyphenolic compounds. While flavonoids (in the narrow sense) have the 2-phenylchromen-4-one ...

'' * Dalbergin * Nivetin isolated from ''

Echinops niveus ''Echinops niveus'' is a species in the genus ''Echinops'' or globe thistles. It is native to the Indian subcontinent: Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal. Nivetin is a neoflavonoid Neoflavonoids are a class of polyphenol ...

References

External links

{{Flavonoids