**Author details**

poor in macronutrients. It can be a strategy to stimulate beneficial bacteria or inhibit harmful bacteria and fungi. It can also be considered in the genetic improvement of plant species.

Every day, the demand for natural products obtained from plants increases to be used as pest control agents. New pesticides are being developed using flavonoids, as they are an alternative to synthetic pesticides. They can inhibit enzymatic activity and prevent the growth of larvae of different insect species [55]. Some flavonoids interfere in the process of moulting and reproduction of several insects, that is, they inhibit the formation of juvenile hormone (ecdysone). Flavonoids inhibit transcription of ecdysone receptor-dependent

It has been reported that some types of flavonoids have had an effect on agricultural pests with ovicidal effect, oviposition, fecundity, mortality, weight reduction, and emergence of adults [57, 58]. Quercetin, rutin, and naringin showed positive effects for the control of nymphs and adults of the aphid *Eriosoma lanigerum* Hausmann. These can be used as an insecticide in the integrated management programs of this aphid [59]. Some flavonoids can influence agricultural pests depending on the concentration applied; if they are low, they do not affect them [60]; therefore, it is necessary to test the minimum concentrations for the flavonoid to have an

Throughout this chapter, the importance and interest in the knowledge of flavonoids as a big group of natural products, present in different organisms, have been emphasized. They have been widely investigated, from their biosynthesis, analytical techniques for their analysis, to their biological activity. They are compounds with different responses to biotic and abiotic factors, which can influence the agricultural sector as attractants for pollinators, as pigment to flowers and fruits, allelochemical functions, symbiosis with beneficial organisms, and as

The importance of flavonoids lies not only in the functions in plants but also in different therapeutic and nutraceutical applications. It is a group that is present in a wide variety of plant species, in different concentrations. In addition, its beneficial effects on health have been

However, the information linked to agriculture is scattered. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of their applications and show that metabolomics is an effective tool for research linked to metabolic processes of flavonoids with various agricul-

demonstrated and one of the most notable examples is its antioxidant activity.

**6. Importance of flavonoids in pest control**

196 Flavonoids - From Biosynthesis to Human Health

genes (EcR) [56].

insecticidal effect.

pest control.

tural crops.

**7. Concluding remarks**

Mariana Palma-Tenango<sup>1</sup> , Marcos Soto-Hernández<sup>2</sup> \* and Eva Aguirre-Hernández<sup>1</sup>

\*Address all correspondence to: msoto@colpos.mx

1 Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Laboratory of Phytochemistry, Faculty of Science, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, México

2 Department of Botany, Laboratory of Phytochemistry, Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo, Texcoco, México

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**Flavonoid Roles in Metabolism and Health**
