The Flavonoid Biosynthesis and Regulation in Brassica napus: A Review

Brassica napus is an important crop for edible oil, vegetables, biofuel, and animal food. It is also an ornamental crop for its various petal colors. Flavonoids are a group of secondary metabolites with antioxidant activities and medicinal values, and are important to plant pigmentation, disease resistance, and abiotic stress responses. The yellow seed coat, purple leaf and inflorescence, and colorful petals of B. napus have been bred for improved nutritional value, tourism and city ornamentation. The putative loci and genes regulating flavonoid biosynthesis in B. napus have been identified using germplasms with various seed, petal, leaf, and stem colors, or different flavonoid contents under stress conditions. This review introduces the advances of flavonoid profiling, biosynthesis, and regulation during development and stress responses of B. napus, and hopes to help with the breeding of B. napus with better quality, ornamental value, and stress resistances.

Automated summary

Brassica napus is an important crop for various purposes such as edible oil, vegetables, biofuel, and animal food. It is also grown for its ornamental value due to its colorful petals. This review discusses the advances in understanding the biosynthesis and regulation of flavonoids in B. napus, which play a role in plant pigmentation, disease resistance, and stress responses. The aim is to contribute to the breeding of B. napus with improved quality, ornamental value, and stress resistance.