Flavonoids from Vicia faba Seed Exudates
Abstract From the seed exudates of Vicia faba L. (cv. Muchamiel) the flavonoid aglycones 7,3′,4′-trihydroxyflavone, 7,4′-dihydroxyflavone, quercetin and kaempferol, and the flavonoid glycosides quercetin 7-glucoside and kaempferol 7-glucoside were identified. This is the first time that the flavonoids present in Vicia seed exudates are described. The study of the flavonoids present in legume seed and root exudates is especially important since these substances may act as chemical signals activating or inhibiting Rhizobium nodulation genes. In fact, the activating effect on Rhizobium nod genes of 7,3′,4′-trihydroxyflavone and 7,3′-dihydroxyflavone has previously been reported. It is remarkable, that these compounds increase dramatically in mature pods, and these tissues might have an additional ecological role in the signal function on Rhizobium to establish the symbiosis