CHANGES IN NEODIOSMIN LEVELS DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CITRUS-AURANTIUM LEAVES AND FRUITS - POSTULATION OF A NEODIOSMIN BIOSYNTHETIC-PATHWAY

Neodiosmin (5,7,3'-trihydroxy-4'-methoxyflavone 7beta-neohesperidoside) levels have been analyzed during the developmental stages of Citrus aurantium leaves and fruits. Neodiosmin reaches its maximum concentration in the organs studied during the first stages of growth, gradually decreasing until the organs reach full development. However, the maximum rate of neodiosmin synthesis and/or accumulation occurs during the lineal phase of leaf and fruit growth. The study of 4'-O-methyltransferase substrate specificity, the capacity of glucosyltransferase for flavone glucosylation, and the correlation between the levels of neodiosmin and the flavanone neohesperidin during leaf and fruit growth lead us to propose a biosynthetic pathway for neodiosmin in C. aurantium.