What are flavones?

Flavones are different to due to they’re molecular structure to other subsets of flavonoids they are from a large subgroup of flavonoids these are gaining a lot of attention because of the effect biologically on humans.

Flavones are known for there occurrence in cremates coloured plants and flowers they also act as a natural pesticides in plants they also help to regulate fungi and bacteria in all types of root systems.

What Colour are they?

Flavones like flavanones are colourless that doe not mean they don’t have an effect at a molecular level ,they can pigment in conjunction with the other molecules in the flavoiod group.

They are also found in

• Apigenin O-glycosides

Parsley, peppermint,chamomile flower, and chicory leaves.

• Luteolin

Fenugreek seed, sage, chinese celery, and spinach.

• Apigenin C-glycosides

Tea, bergamot juice, redbush tea, bergamot juice, mandarin juice, wheat grain, and chickpeas.

Is there any research to support health benefits?

At the moment the research on flavones is limited so the influence on human beings is not fully known but the preliminary indicators  lean towards reduction in oxidative stress, cardiovascular risk, anit-inflammatory but the absorption of these molecules is still inconclusive.

In some clinical trials micronised flavonoids showed positive results in a random test of fifty patients that were treated with flavonoids that had bleeding from internal haemorrhoids had greatly improved from the flow of bleeding and showed “rapid cessation of bleeding and a reduced risk of relapse” (Misra & Parshad, 2000)

Another study using parsley which are also high in flavones in which seven women and men took part for the “Institute of Food Safety and Toxicology in Denmark” in 1999.

Parsley in fact is food source rich in apigenin/apigenin O-glycoside, the researchers (Nielsen et al., 1999) studied the flavone’s impact on oxidative stress this seemed to suggest that with a good diet that “parsley seemed, partly” to reduce oxidative damage and influence the enzymes that effect the oxidation of the cells.

A 1998 study by (Janssen 1998) which was published in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” thoroughly examined the effect of quercetin and apigenin on volunteers this concluded that while in small concentrations of flavones had anti ageing effects.

Are there any effects?

Because the studies are so small into flavones there is not much evidence to lean one way or the other but here is preliminary evidence to suggest excessive flavone may promote anti-oxidants and may inhibit enzymes in the liver but much more research is need to reach conclusive results.