SEPARATION, ANALYSIS, AND ASSESSMENT OF BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF ISOFLAVONES AND SAPONINS FROM SOY PRODUCTS

Authors: Berhow, Mark; Vaughn, Steven; Cantrell, Charles; Duval, Sandra; WOODS, EMILIE - UNIV IL, URBANA, IL; RUNDELL, MARK - UNIV IL, URBANA, IL; WAGNER, ELIZABETH - UNIV IL, URBANA,IL; MICHAEL, J - UNIV IL, URBANA, IL; DOBBINS, THOMAS - ORGANIC TECH,COSHCTN, OH

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Work on the determination of the mode of action of phytochemicals found in foods on the prevention of some chronic diseases, such as cancer, has been hampered by the lack of availability of purified individual phytochemicals. Pure compounds are required as both analytical standards and for further biological experimentation. In cooperation with two private companies, methods are being developed to scale up the isolation of pure isoflavone and saponin fractions from soy processing products in quantities sufficient for further biological studies. Further purification of these fractions have yielded pure analytical standards for genistin, glycitin, daidzin, and soyasaponins I, II, III, IV, and V. These pure compounds are being used to produce efficient methodologies for the accurate identification and quantitation of these compounds in various processed fractions from soy. It is important to assess the biological activity of these compounds both as in mixtures and as separate entities. In cytotoxic/cytostatic studies on cultured mammalian cells, genistein was shown to have a cytotoxic effect at levels much lower than that of daidzein, while both compounds have a cytostatic effect at similar levels. The B group saponins do not have similar cytostatic effects, but have been shown to effectively repress 2-acetoxyacetylaminofluorene (2-AAAF)-induced DNA damage.