One of the two groups of * anthochlor flower pigments. Chalcones are less variable than other types of * flavonoid pigments with only some 20 kinds being known. In the synthesis of the various flavonoids from acetates and cinnamic acid the chalcones are the first compounds to be formed along the biosynthetic pathway. This has led some to consider the possession of chalcones a primitive characteristic as compared to the possession of * aurones, which are oxidized derivatives of chalcones. The yellow colours of gorse, dahlia, and carnation flowers are due to chalcones. |
