Isoflavonoid biosynthesis

Isoflavonoids are biologically active compounds, such as phytoestrogens, produced by pea family plants. While flavonoids (in the narrow sense) have the 2-phenylchromen-4-one backbone, isoflavonoids have the 3-phenylchromen-4-one backbone with no hydroxyl group substitution at position 2. Isoflavonoids are derived from the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway via liquiritigenin or naringenin.