The (Bio)chemical Base of Flower Colour in Bidens ferulifolia

Bidens ferulifolia is a yellow flowering plant, originating from Mexico, which is increasingly popular as an ornamental plant. In the past few years, new colour combinations ranging from pure yellow over yellow-red, white-red, pure white and purple have emerged on the market. We analysed 16 Bidens ferulifolia genotypes to provide insight into the (bio)chemical base underlying the colour formation, which involves flavonoids, anthochlors and carotenoids. In all but purple and white genotypes, anthochlors were the prevalent pigments, primarily derivatives of okanin, a 6'-deoxychalcone carrying an unusual 2'3'4'-hydroxylation pattern in ring A. The presence of a cytochrome-P450-dependent monooxygenase introducing the additional hydroxyl group in position 3' of both isoliquiritigenin and butein was demonstrated for the first time. All genotypes accumulate considerable amounts of the flavone luteolin. Red and purple genotypes additionally accumulate cyanidin-type anthocyanins. Acyanic genotypes lack flavanone 3-hydroxylase and/or dihydroflavonol 4-reductase activity, which creates a bottleneck in the anthocyanin pathway. The carotenoid spectrum was analysed in two Bidens genotypes and showed strong variation between the two cultivars. In comparison to anthochlors, carotenoids were present in much lower concentrations. Carotenoid monoesters, as well as diesters, were determined for the first time in B. ferulifolia flower extracts.

Automated summary

Bidens ferulifolia is a popular yellow flowering plant used for ornamental purposes. The study revealed that the color formation in this plant is influenced by flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. Different genotypes of the plant exhibit variations in pigment composition, leading to different flower colors.