Anthochlor pigments
group of plant metabolites
Anthochlor pigments (ἄνθος anthos = flower; χλωρός chlōrós = yellowish) are a group of secondary plant metabolites and with carotenoids and some flavonoids produce yellow flower colour. Both, chalcones and aurones are known as anthochlor pigments. Anthochlor pigments serve as UV nectar guides in some plants. Important anthochlor pigments accumulating plants are from the genus Coreopsis, Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) or Bidens ferulifolia.
History
Botanists began early to deal with the distribution of yellow flower colouration pigments, especially with carotenoids and yellow flavonoids. The first reference of yellow pigments with properties resembling those of anthochlor pigments is mentioned by Fremy and Cloez in 1854. However, there are only a few and often contrary references pertaining to anthochlor pigments in the literature, which is perhaps down to the fact that "…the anthochlor [pigment] occurs only rarely in the plant kingdom and we [the botanists] are used to attributing yellow colouration of blossoms somewhat indiscriminately to carotenoids".
Classification
Though anthochlors are frequently ranked among flavonoids, their structure cannot be derived from the flavonoid skeleton. Some plants (especially Asteraceae) accumulate two types of anthochlor pigments. On the one hand, the hydroxytypes of chalcones and aurones, on the other hand the deoxy-types of chalcones and their corresponding aurones.
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