Isoflavonoid

3-phenylchromen-4-one

3-phenylchroman (isoflavan) backbone of the isoflavanes

Isoflavonoids are a class of flavonoid phenolic compounds. They are biologically active compounds, such as phytoestrogens, produced by pea family plants.

Isoflavonoids are derived from the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway via liquiritigenin or naringenin.

Pterocarpans are derived from isoflavonoids.

Chemical makeup

While flavonoids (in the narrow sense) have the 2-phenylchromen-4-one backbone, isoflavonoids have the 3-phenylchromen-4-one backbone (Number 574-12-9, chemical formula C₁₅H₁₀O₂, exact mass : 222.0680792) with no hydroxyl group substitution at position 2 (case of the isoflavones) or the 3-phenylchroman (isoflavan, CAS number : 4737-26-2) backbone (case of isoflavanes, e.g. : equol).

See also

• Flavonoid
• Isoflavone
• Genistein
• Daidzein
• Homoisoflavonoids, related molecules with a 16-carbon skeleton