Formation mechanisms polyphenol pathway

Havanols are a wide group of polyphenols that include flavan-3-ols (e.g., catechin and proanthocyanidins), flavan-4-ols, and flavan-3,4-diols. They arise from plant secondary metabolism through condensation of phenylalanine derived from the shikimate pathway with malonyl-CoA obtained from citrate that is produced by the tricarboxylic acid cycle, leading to the formation of the key precursor in the flavonoids biosynthesis the naringenin chalcone. The exact nature of the molecular species that undergo polymerization and the mechanism of assembly in proanthocyanidins are still unknown. From a structural point of view, flavanols... 

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