Pterocarpan

Pterocarpan chemical structure. It consists of a 1-benzofuran moiety (dotted blue circle) fused to a 2H-chromene moiety (dotted green circle). The systematic name for it is 6H-[1]benzofuro[3,2-c]chromene. The new numbering of the resulting moiety is shown with red numbers.

Pterocarpans are derivatives of isoflavonoids found in the family Fabaceae. It is a group of compounds which can be described as benzo-pyrano-furano-benzenes (i.e. 6H-[1]benzofuro[3,2-c]chromene skeleton) which can be formed by coupling of the B ring to the 4-one position.[1]

2'-hydroxyisoflavone reductase is the enzyme responsible for the conversion in Cicer arietinum[2] and glyceollin synthase for the production of glyceollins, phytoalexins in soybean.[3]

  1. ^ Pterocarpans on the National Library of Medicine – Medical Subject Headings
  2. ^ Tiemann, Karin; Hinderer, Walter; Barz, Wolfgang (23 March 1987). "Isolation of NADPH:isoflavone oxidoreductase, a new enzyme of Pterocarpan phytoalexin biosynthesis in cell suspension cultures of Cicer arietinum". FEBS Letters. 213 (2). Wiley: 324–328. doi:10.1016/0014-5793(87)81515-6. ISSN 0014-5793.
  3. ^ Welle R, Grisebach H (1988). "Induction of phytoalexin synthesis in soybean: enzymatic cyclization of prenylated pterocarpans to glyceollin isomers". Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 263 (1): 191–8. doi:10.1016/0003-9861(88)90627-3. PMID 3369863.