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1.
Physiologically Active Molecules and Functional Properties of Soybeans in Human Health-A Current Perspective.
Kim, IS, Kim, CH, Yang, WS
International journal of molecular sciences. 2021;(8)
Abstract
In addition to providing nutrients, food can help prevent and treat certain diseases. In particular, research on soy products has increased dramatically following their emergence as functional foods capable of improving blood circulation and intestinal regulation. In addition to their nutritional value, soybeans contain specific phytochemical substances that promote health and are a source of dietary fiber, phospholipids, isoflavones (e.g., genistein and daidzein), phenolic acids, saponins, and phytic acid, while serving as a trypsin inhibitor. These individual substances have demonstrated effectiveness in preventing chronic diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, cardiac diseases, diabetes, and senile dementia, as well as in treating cancer and suppressing osteoporosis. Furthermore, soybean can affect fibrinolytic activity, control blood pressure, and improve lipid metabolism, while eliciting antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, and antibacterial effects. In this review, rather than to improve on the established studies on the reported nutritional qualities of soybeans, we intend to examine the physiological activities of soybeans that have recently been studied and confirm their potential as a high-functional, well-being food.
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2.
Facets of rhizospheric microflora in biocontrol of phytopathogen Macrophomina phaseolina in oil crop soybean.
Dave, K, Gothalwal, R, Singh, M, Joshi, N
Archives of microbiology. 2021;(2):405-412
Abstract
The use of microbial bioinoculants for managing plant diseases and promoting plant growth is an effective alternative approach to integrated farming. One of the devastating phytopathogens is Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. It is an omnipresent fungus infecting more than 500 plant species. It causes charcoal rot disease in soybean leading to 30-50% yield loss. Soybean Glycine max (L.) oil seed crop produced globally is highly susceptible to M. phaseolina. India is the fifth largest producer of soybean in the world. Madhya Pradesh is the largest soybean-producing state in India; Around 70% yield loss of soybean is accounted to M. phaseolina infection in India. Control of charcoal rot is the requisite of the current situation. Chemical control is not feasible due to saprophytic nature and prolonged survival of Macrophomina phaseolina. Chemical fungicides are expensive, toxic, hazardous, and cause pollution. Biological control is an effective approach to control this devastating fungus. The rhizosphere of soil is rich in beneficial microflora competent to suppress plant pathogens and also promote plant growth. PGPR have well-developed mechanisms that impart antagonistic traits to them. PGPR produces various antifungal metabolites siderophores and HCN which inhibit fungal growth, and can be used as potent BCA. Pseudomonas and Bacillus species have been reported effective against M. phaseolina. The mechanisms and antifungal compounds produced by these bacteria to control charcoal rot can be studied extensively. BCA or the metabolites secreted by them have the potential to develop effective bioformulations for soybean at the commercial level for sustainable agriculture.
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3.
Valorisation of By-Products from Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) Processing.
Colletti, A, Attrovio, A, Boffa, L, Mantegna, S, Cravotto, G
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2020;(9)
Abstract
In recent years, increased awareness of the health benefits associated with consuming soy-based foods, knowledge of milk-related allergies and a move towards more sustainable food production have led to an increase in the number of available soy-based products. The biggest producers in the world, the USA, South America and China, are from the Pacific region. This enormous production is accompanied by the accumulation of related by-products, in particular, a substance that is known as okara. Okara is a paste that is rich in fibre (50%), protein (25%), fat (10%), vitamins and trace elements. Its proper use would lead to economic advantages and a reduction in the potential for polluting the environment. Its high fibre content and low production costs mean that it could also be used as a dietary supplement to prevent diabetes, obesity and hyperlipidaemia. Chemical or enzymatic treatment, fermentation, extrusion, high pressure and micronisation can all increase the soluble fibre content, and thus improve nutritional quality and processing properties. However, the product also degrades rapidly due to its high moisture content (70-80%), which makes it difficult to handle and expensive to dry by conventional means. The aim of this paper is therefore to thoroughly study the existing literature on this subject in order to develop a general protocol for okara exploitation and valorisation. A cost/benefit analysis could drive the design of eco-friendly, sustainable protocols for the preparation of high-value nutritional products.
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4.
High soy isoflavone or soy-based food intake during infancy and in adulthood is associated with an increased risk of uterine fibroids in premenopausal women: a meta-analysis.
Qin, H, Lin, Z, Vásquez, E, Luan, X, Guo, F, Xu, L
Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.). 2019;:30-42
Abstract
Numerous studies have examined the association of soy isoflavones or soy-based food intake with the risk of uterine fibroids (UF), but the results are inconsistent. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to quantitatively assess whether high soy isoflavones intake is associated with an increased risk of UF. PUBMED and EMBASE databases were reviewed to screen for relevant published studies up to December 2018. Using key words of uterine fibroid and isoflavone, we identified 4 studies focusing on infancy intake and 7 studies evaluating intake during adulthood. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated using a random-effect model. In addition, subgroup analyses and 2-stage random-effect dose-response were also performed. When comparing high vs low intake of soy isoflavones, we found that there were positive associations of UF among patients being fed soy formula during infancy (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.99-1.43; P = .06) and with high consumption of soy-based foods in adulthood (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.09-5.74; P = .03), respectively. Additionally, dose-response analysis showed the pooled ORs (95% CIs) of UF risk for low, moderate, and high intake of soy isoflavones were 1.00 (0.87-1.14), 1.08 (0.94-1.24), and 1.23 (0.99-1.53) when compared to occasional intake, respectively. Our findings suggest that high soy isoflavones or soy-based food intake during infancy and in adulthood is associated with an increased risk of uterine fibroids in premenopausal women. There is a need for large-scale prospective cohort studies using more accurate measurements of soy isoflavones to further ascertain our study findings.
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5.
Current state of art after twenty years of the discovery of bioactive peptide lunasin.
Fernández-Tomé, S, Hernández-Ledesma, B
Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.). 2019;:71-78
Abstract
Non-communicable diseases have become the medical challenge of the 21st century because of their high incidence and mortality rates. Accumulating evidence has suggested that the modulation of diet and other lifestyle habits is the best strategy for the prevention of these diseases. An increasing number of dietary compounds have been found to exert health promoting benefits beyond their nutritional effects. Among them, lunasin is considered one of the most studied bioactive peptides. Since its discovery in soybean twenty years ago, many researchers around the world have focused their studies on demonstrating the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activity of lunasin. Moreover, in the last years, promising protective effects of this peptide against hypercholesterolemia, obesity, metabolic syndrome and associated cardiovascular disorders, and inflammatory and immune-regulated diseases have been described. This review summarizes recent remarkable advances on the use of peptide lunasin as a potential functional ingredient to provide health benefits. Moreover, novel aspects related to the influence of lunasin's digestion and bioavailability, the mechanisms of action proposed to explain the underlying biological properties, and the incorporation of this peptide into nutritional supplements are critically discussed.
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6.
An integrated metagenomic/metaproteomic investigation of microbiota in dajiang-meju, a traditional fermented soybean product in Northeast China.
Xie, M, Wu, J, An, F, Yue, X, Tao, D, Wu, R, Lee, Y
Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.). 2019;:414-424
Abstract
Dajiang-meju have been used as major ingredients for the preparation of traditional spontaneously fermented soybean paste in Northeast China. In this work, we sequenced and analyzed the metagenome of 12 dajiang-meju samples. To complement the metagenome analysis, we analyzed the taxonomic and functional diversity of the microbiota by metaproteomics (LC-MS/MS). The analysis of metagenomic data revealed that the communities were primarily dominated by Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Citrobacter and Leclercia. Moreover, changes in the functional levels were monitored, and metaproteomic analysis revealed that most of the proteins were mainly expressed by members of Rhizopus, Penicillium and Geotrichum. The number of sequences allocated to fungi in the fermentation process decreased, whereas the number of sequences assigned to bacteria increased with time of fermentation. In addition, functional metagenomic profiling indicated that a series of sequences related to carbohydrates and amino acids metabolism were enriched. Additionally, enzymes associated with glycolysis metabolic pathways were presumed to contribute to the generation of flavor in dajiang-meju. Proteins from different dajiang-meju samples involved in global and overview maps, carbohydrate metabolism, nucleic acid metabolism and energy metabolism were differentially expressed. This information improves the understanding of microbial metabolic patterns with respect to the metaproteomes of dajiang-meju and provides a powerful tool for studying the fermentation process of soybean products.
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7.
Effect of S-equol and Soy Isoflavones on Heart and Brain.
Sekikawa, A, Ihara, M, Lopez, O, Kakuta, C, Lopresti, B, Higashiyama, A, Aizenstein, H, Chang, YF, Mathis, C, Miyamoto, Y, et al
Current cardiology reviews. 2019;(2):114-135
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Observational studies in Asia show that dietary intake of soy isoflavones had a significant inverse association with coronary heart disease (CHD). A recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) of soy isoflavones on atherosclerosis in the US, however, failed to show their benefit. The discrepancy may be due to the much lower prevalence of S-equol producers in Westerners: Only 20-30% of Westerners produce S-equol in contrast to 50-70% in Asians. S-equol is a metabolite of dietary soy isoflavone daidzein by gut microbiome and possesses the most antiatherogenic properties among all isoflavones. Several short-duration RCTs documented that soy isoflavones improves arterial stiffness. Accumulating evidence shows that both atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness are positively associated with cognitive decline/dementia. Therefore, potentially, soy isoflavones, especially S-equol, are protective against cognitive decline/dementia. METHODS/RESULTS This narrative review of clinical and epidemiological studies provides an overview of the health benefits of soy isoflavones and introduces S-equol. Second, we review recent evidence on the association of soy isoflavones and S-equol with CHD, atherosclerosis, and arterial stiffness as well as the association of atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness with cognitive decline/ dementia. Third, we highlight recent studies that report the association of soy isoflavones and S-equol with cognitive decline/dementia. Lastly, we discuss the future directions of clinical and epidemiological research on the relationship of S-equol and CHD and dementia. CONCLUSIONS Evidence from observational studies and short-term RCTs suggests that S-equol is anti-atherogenic and improves arterial stiffness and may prevent CHD and cognitive impairment/ dementia. Well-designed long-term (≥ 2years) RCTs should be pursued.
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8.
Concepts and strategies of soybean seed proteomics using the shotgun proteomics approach.
Min, CW, Gupta, R, Agrawal, GK, Rakwal, R, Kim, ST
Expert review of proteomics. 2019;(9):795-804
Abstract
Introduction: The last decade has yielded significant developments in the field of proteomics, especially in mass spectrometry (MS) and data analysis tools. In particular, a shift from gel-based to MS-based proteomics has been observed, thereby providing a platform with which to construct proteome atlases for all life forms. Nevertheless, the analysis of plant proteomes, especially those of samples that contain high-abundance proteins (HAPs), such as soybean seeds, remains challenging. Areas covered: Here, we review recent progress in soybean seed proteomics and highlight advances in HAPs depletion methods and peptide pre-fractionation, identification, and quantification methods. We also suggest a pipeline for future proteomic analysis, in order to increase the dynamic coverage of the soybean seed proteome. Expert opinion: Because HAPs limit the dynamic resolution of the soybean seed proteome, the depletion of HAPs is a prerequisite of high-throughput proteome analysis, and owing to the use of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis-based proteomic approaches, few soybean seed proteins have been identified or characterized. Recent advances in proteomic technologies, which have significantly increased the proteome coverage of other plants, could be used to overcome the current complexity and limitation of soybean seed proteomics.
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9.
Biological Effect of Soy Isoflavones in the Prevention of Civilization Diseases.
Pabich, M, Materska, M
Nutrients. 2019;(7)
Abstract
Scientific advancements in recent years have shed new light on the relationship between diet and human health. Nutrients play an important role in the prevention of many civilization diseases, such as osteoporosis, type II diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and cardiovascular diseases. The biological activity of natural plant components allows their use in the treatment of various diseases, especially civilization diseases, to be speculated. Special attention is paid to phenolic compounds that have numerous health-promoting properties. Isoflavones, phenolic compounds, are commonly found in legumes, especially in soybeans. Their structural similarity to 17-β-estradiol (E2), the main female sex hormone, allows them to induce estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects by binding to estrogen receptors, and their consumption has been associated with a decreased risk of hormone-related cancers. In addition, numerous epidemiological studies and related meta-analyses suggest that soy consumption may be associated with a lower incidence of certain diseases. However, there are some doubts about the potential effects on health, such as the effectiveness of cardiovascular risk reduction or breast cancer-promoting properties. The purpose of this review is to present the current knowledge on the potential effects of soy isoflavone consumption with regard to civilization diseases.
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10.
Role of soybean-derived bioactive compounds in inflammatory bowel disease.
Juritsch, AF, Moreau, R
Nutrition reviews. 2018;(8):618-638
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with IBD present with debilitating symptoms that alter the quality of life and can develop into severe complications requiring surgery. Epidemiological evidence indicates Westernized societies have an elevated IBD burden when compared with Asian societies. Considering the stark contrast between the typical Western and Eastern dietary patterns, it is postulated that differences in food and lifestyle contribute to lower IBD incidence in Asian countries. Soybeans (Glycine max), which are consumed in high quantities and as various preparations in Eastern societies, contain a wealth of natural, biologically active compounds that include isoflavones, bioactive peptides, protease inhibitors, and phytosterols, among many others. These compounds have been shown to improve human health, and preclinical evidence suggests they have potential to improve the prognosis of IBD. This review summarizes the current state of evidence regarding the effects and the mechanisms of action of these soybean-derived bioactive compounds in experimental models of IBD.