Peroxidatic Degradation of Flavanones

Flavanones, Catabolites, Peroxidases, Degradation, Substitution Pattern Peroxidases were shown to be responsible for the degradation of flavanones as occuring after application of these substrates to plant cell suspension cultures. — Comparative studies with various flavanones and horseradish peroxidase showed that only 4'-hydroxyflavanones will be catabolized peroxidatically. — Intensive analyses of naringenin (5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavanone) de­ gradation by horseradish peroxidase revealed that very complex reactions with many catabolites are involved. Main degradative pathways comprise a) hydroxilation in the 3'-position, b) elimina­ tion of ring B leading to chromones, c) cleavage reactions of the heterocylic ring resulting in phenolic catabolites from ring A and most important d) oxidative destruction of ring A leading to Cg — Cg-, Cs—C2and C6—Cj-units from ring B. — The data are compared with the results of feeding experiments and are discussed with regard to their physiological significance.