| Description | Formononetin, also known as biochanin b, belongs to the class of organic compounds known as 4'-o-methylisoflavones. These are isoflavones with methoxy groups attached to the C4' atom of the isoflavone backbone. Thus, formononetin is considered to be a flavonoid lipid molecule. Formononetin is a very hydrophobic molecule, practically insoluble (in water), and relatively neutral. Outside of the human body, Formononetin is found, on average, in the highest concentration within a few different foods, such as milk (cow), soy beans, and sunflowers and in a lower concentration in soy milks, miso, and other soy products. Formononetin has also been detected, but not quantified in, several different foods, such as horseradish tree, watermelons, docks, lemon grass, and nuts. Formononetin is found in Actaea racemosa, Albizia procera , Aloe vera , Amburana cearensis, Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, Amorpha fruticosa, Andira inermis , Arabidopsis thaliana, Arachis hypogaea, Astragalus clusii, Astragalus membranaceus , Astragalus mongholicus, Astragalus propinquus, Baptisia alba, Baptisia arachnifera, Baptisia australis, Baptisia bracteata, Baptisia calycosa, Baptisia cinerea, Baptisia lanceolata, Baptisia lecontei, Baptisia megacarpa, Baptisia nuttalliana, Baptisia perfoliata, Baptisia simplicifolia, Baptisia sphaerocarpa, Baptisia tinctoria , Brassica oleracea , Bupleurum scorzonerifolium , Butea monosperma, Caragana conferta, Caragana jubata, Caragana intermedia, Caragana microphylla , Castanospermum australe , Centrolobium robustum, Centrolobium sclerophyllum, Centrolobium tomentosum, Centrosema pubescens, Centrosema virginianum, Cicer anatolicum, Cicer bijugum, Cicer canariensis, Cicer chorassanicum, Cicer cuneatum, Cicer echinospermum, Cicer flexuosum, Cicer judaicum, Cicer judicum, Cicer macracanthum, Cicer microphyllum, Cicer mogolatvicum, Cicer montbretii, Cicer nuristanicum, Cicer oxyodon, Cicer pinnatifidum, Cicer pungens, Cicer rechingeri, Cicer reticulatum, Cicer songaricum, Cicer yamashitae, Cladrastis kentukea, Cladrastis sikokiana, Hedysarum multijugum, Psoralea corylifolia , Cyclopia intermedia, Cyclopia sessiliflora, Cytisus proliferus, Dalbergia baronii, Dalbergia barretoana, Dalbergia candenatensis, Dalbergia cearensis, Dalbergia ecastophyllum, Dalbergia frutescens, Dalbergia inundata, Dalbergia lanceolaria , Dalbergia monetaria , Dalbergia nigrescens, Dalbergia nitidula , Dalbergia odorifera , Dalbergia oliveri, Dalbergia parviflora , Dalbergia sissoides, Dalbergia sissoo, Dalbergia spruceana, Dalbergia stevensonii, Dalbergia volubilis , Dermatophyllum secundiflorum, Derris oblonga, Diplotropis purpurea, Echinospartum horridum, Erycibe expansa , Erythroxylum ulei, Eschscholzia californica , Euchresta formosana, Euphorbia portlandica, Eysenhardtia polystachya, Acca sellowiana, Fordia cauliflora, Genista aetnensis, Genista canariensis, Genista nissana, Genista pulchella, Genista salzmannii, Genista sessilifolia, Genista subcapitata, Genista teretifolia, Genista tinctoria , Gliricidia sepium , Glycyrrhiza echinata , Glycyrrhiza glabra , Glycyrrhiza glara, Glycyrrhiza inflata , Glycyrrhiza palidiflora, Glycyrrhiza pallidiflora, Glycyrrhiza uralensis , Hedysarum polybotrys , Hedysarum theinum, Lathyrus sativus, Maackia amurensis , Maackia fauriei, Machaerium aristulatum, Machaerium kuhlmannii, Machaerium nyctitans, Machaerium vestitum, Medicago arabica, Medicago intertexta, Medicago laciniata, Medicago monspeliaca, Medicago radiata, Medicago sativa , Medicago truncatula, Melilotus italica, Melilotus messanensis, Millettia dielsiana, Millettia dura, Millettia pendula, Myroxylon balsamum , Onobrychis viciifolia , Ononis speciosa, Ononis spinosa , Otholobium bracteolatum, Otholobium sericeum, Otholobium uncinatum, Oxytropis falcata, Pericopsis laxiflora , Phaseolus vulgaris , Pickeringia montana, Piptanthus nepalensis, Pongamia pinnata, Psoralea fascicularis, Pterocarpus indicus , Pterocarpus marsupium , Pterocarpus soyauxii , Pueraria lobata , Pueraria montana, Pueraria tuberosa , Pycnanthus angolensis, Sarcolobus globosus, Sophora flavescens , Sophora secundiflora , Sophora tomentosa , Spartium junceum , Spatholobus suberectus , Sophora japonica , Swartzia polyphylla, Syzygium jambos, Taverniera abyssinica , Taxus fuana, Taxus yunnanensis, Tephrosia maxima, Thermopsis alterniflora, Thermopsis fabacea, Thermopsis macrophylla, Thermopsis mollis, Thermopsis rhombifolia, Thermopsis villosa, Tipuana tipu, Trifolium alpestre, Trifolium arvense, Trifolium fragiferum, Trifolium medium, Trifolium polyphyllum, Trifolium pratense , Trifolium repens , Trifolium resupinatum, Trifolium riograndense, Trifolium subterraneum , Trifolium willdenovii, Trigonella anguina, Trigonella laciniata, Trigonella maritima, Trigonella spicata, Ulex micranthus, Vatairea heteroptera, Virgilia oroboides, Virola caducifolia, Virola multinervia, Wisteria brachybotrys, Xanthium strumarium and Zollernia paraensis. Formononetin was first documented in 2005 (PMID: 16108819). This could make formononetin a potential biomarker for the consumption of these foods (PMID: 17576638). |
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