Research progress in understanding the biosynthesis and regulation of plant anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are important secondary metabolites in plants, and their contents and composition determine plant flower and fruit color. Plant anthocyanins are natural edible pigments that have many nutritional and medicinal uses, such as antioxidant, anticancer and cardiovascular disease prevention functions. This paper reviews the plant anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway and its main structural genes, analyzes the important transcription factors and microRNAs that affect anthocyanin synthesis, summarizes the effects of different environmental factors on anthocyanin synthesis and accumulation, and finally summarizes the effects of six major exogenous hormones on anthocyanin synthesis and metabolism. Moreover, we consider future research directions and development trends related to anthocyanins to provide a reference basis for future generations to further study and use plant anthocyanins.