Synthetic derivatives of genistein, their properties and possible applications

Genistein, the principal isoflavone constituent of soybean, attracts much attention as a natural molecule with significant affinity towards targets of potential medicinal interest, but also as a food supplement or prospective chemopreventive agent. Since its physicochemical properties are considered suboptimal for drug development, much effort has been invested in designing its analogs and conjugates in hope to obtain compounds with improved efficacy and selectivity. The aim of this article is to summarize current knowledge about the properties of synthetic genistein derivatives and to discuss possible clinical application of selected novel compounds. Some basic information concerning chemical reactivity of genistein, relevant to the synthesis of its derivatives, is also presented.