Two new isoflavones from the tubers of Apios taiwanianus

Apios taiwanianus is a medicinal plant in Taiwan. The tuber of A. taiwanianus is used as a folk medicine to treat hyperthyroidism, herpes, and tumors. We carried out the phytochemical study of A. taiwanianus. Two new isoflavones, apioisoflavone (2) and isoapioisoflavone (3), along with eighteen known compounds were isolated from the tubers of A. taiwanianus. The structures of these compounds were determined by spectral analyses and comparison with those in the literature. Compounds lupinalbin A (6) and dephnoretin (11) were shown to enhance the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. (C) 2016 Phytochemical Society of Europe. Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.