Biochanin A
Encyclopedia
Biochanin A is an O-methylated isoflavone. It is a natural organic compound in the class of phytochemical
Phytochemical
Phytochemicals are biologically active chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants . Phytochemicals are the molecules responsible for the color and organoleptic properties . For example, the deep purple color of blueberries and the smell of garlic...

s known as flavonoids. Biochanin A can be found in red clover
Red clover
Trifolium pratense is a species of clover, native to Europe, Western Asia and northwest Africa, but planted and naturalised in many other regions....

  in soy, in alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...

 sprouts, in peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...

s, in chickpea
Chickpea
The chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae...

 (Cicer arietinum) and in other legumes.

Biochanin A is classified as a phytoestrogen and has putative benefits in dietary cancer prophylaxis.

Metabolism

The enzyme biochanin-A reductase
Biochanin-A reductase
In enzymology, a biochanin-A reductase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are dihydrobiochanin A and NADP+, whereas its 3 products are biochanin A, NADPH, and H+....

 uses dihydrobiochanin A and NADP+ to produce biochanin A, NADPH, and H+.

The enzyme isoflavone-7-O-beta-glucoside 6"-O-malonyltransferase uses malonyl-CoA and biochanin A 7-O-beta-D-glucoside
Glucoside
A glucoside is a glycoside that is derived from glucose. Glucosides are common in plants, but rare in animals. Glucose is produced when a glucoside is hydrolysed by purely chemical means, or decomposed by fermentation or enzymes....

 to produce CoA and biochanin A 7-O-(6-O-malonyl-beta-D-glucoside).
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