Anthocyanidin

An anthocyanidin is a plant flavonoid pigment whose aglycone structure forms the colored core of anthocyanins. Attaching sugars produces anthocyanins and often changes their solubility and stability.

Flavonoid: A family of plant polyphenols built around a characteristic three-ring carbon framework. Anthocyanidins are a colored subgroup of this broad plant-compound family.
Anthocyanidin biosynthesis: The enzyme-mediated pathway that produces anthocyanidins from flavonoid precursors in plants. It assembles the pigment core through successive modifications of flavonoid intermediates.
Flower color: The visible coloration of flowers, produced by pigments and modified by cellular conditions and structure. Anthocyanin pigments derived from anthocyanidins create many red, purple, and blue petals.
Cyanidin: A common anthocyanidin with two hydroxyl groups on its B ring, found in many red and purple plant tissues. Its widespread occurrence makes it a useful reference point among anthocyanidins.
Flavylium: A positively charged oxygen-containing heterocycle that forms the colored core of many anthocyanidins under acidic conditions. Its cationic structure accounts for the vivid red forms of anthocyanidins.
Flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase: A cytochrome P450 enzyme that hydroxylates flavonoid B rings and helps determine anthocyanidin substitution patterns. Its activity helps direct synthesis toward cyanidin- and delphinidin-type pigments.
Fruit pigmentation: The accumulation of pigments that gives fruits their characteristic visible colors during development and ripening. Anthocyanidin-derived pigments color berries and other fruits, often increasing during ripening.
Delphinidin: An anthocyanidin with three hydroxyl groups on its B ring, commonly associated with blue and violet plant pigments. Its extra hydroxyl group distinguishes its chemistry and often contributes to bluer pigment systems.
Anthocyanin: A water-soluble plant pigment consisting of an anthocyanidin attached to one or more sugars, sometimes with additional acyl groups. Glycosylation converts the aglycone into the pigment form common in plant tissues.
Flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase: A cytochrome P450 enzyme that adds hydroxyl groups at the 3′ and 5′ positions of flavonoid B rings. It enables production of delphinidin and related highly hydroxylated pigments.

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