类黄酮及茶儿茶素生物合成途径及其调控研究进展

 类黄酮化合物是植物的次生代谢产物,广泛分布于植物界且具有较强的生物活性。儿茶素是主要的类黄酮化合物之一,其含量占茶树鲜叶干重的12%～25%。作为茶叶的主要风味物质,儿茶素还具有抗氧化、抗诱变与防癌、抗心血管疾病、抗紫外线辐射等功能。本文从类黄酮及茶儿茶素的生物合成途径、组织化学定位、合成调控措施等方面,综述有关茶树儿茶素的生物合成代谢及其调控的研究进展,旨在为茶儿茶素生物合成的基因调控、代谢工程提供新的思路。

Advances in Biosynthesis Pathways and Regulation of Flavonoids and Catechins

Flavonoids are the major secondary metabolites with diverse biological activities in high plant. As one of the main subgroups of flavonoids, catechins usually account for 12%-25% dry weight in fresh leaves of tea plant Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze]. Catechins are not only the most important components in tea flavor, but also possess a lot of physiological functions, such as antioxidant activity, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic potential ,anti-cardiovascular diseases, anti-ultraviolet radiation and so on. This paper reviewed the progresses in the flavonoids or tea catechins branch pathway and regulation, subcellular localization and organization of flavonoid enzymes, and may provide additional insights into regulating gene expression and engineering the catechins biosynthesis in tea plant.