Isoderrone: A rare bioactive pyranoisoflavone with therapeutic potential

Introduction: Isoderrone is a pyranoisoflavone, first reported from Lupinus albus L. in 1989, and later found in various other plants of the families Fabaceae and Moraceae. Objectives: To discuss all reported bioactivities of isoderrone, in relation to its potential therapeutic applications, published since 1989. Material and methods: Information was obtained from Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Isoderrone was the sole search term used. Only the journal articles, books, and book chapters published on isoderrone are included, and any doctoral theses or conference abstracts are excluded from this review. Results: At least 11 publications have been published since 1989, focusing on the bioactivities of isoderrone, relating to potential therapeutic applications, and the re-isolation of this compound from new plant sources. Of them, six publications described antidiabetic, antifungal, and antiplatelet activities of isoderrone. Conclusion: The findings related to its antidiabetic and platelet-suppressing properties could be exploited further towards the development of new antidiabetic and antithrombotic agents. However, further studies, especially toxicity studies and in vivo assays on this compound, are needed to establish its true therapeutic potential.