Processes for the production of isoflavones are described wherein plant
material from plants of the genus leguminosae are contacted with water,
an enzyme which cleaves isoflavone glycosides to the aglucone form and a C2-C10
organic solvent, so as to form a combination, incubating the combination for a
time sufficient to allow isoflavones of the aglucone form to partition into the
organic solvent component, and thereafter recovering isoflavones from the organic
solvent component.