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SECOND INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
ON THE ROLE OF SOY
IN PREVENTING AND TREATING CHRONIC DISEASESeptember 15-18, 1996
Brussells, Belgium
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
(Oral Abstracts)Effects of Isoflavones on Alcohol Pharmacokinetics and Alcohol Drinking Behavior
Renee C. Lin and Ting-Kai Li, Department of Medicine and Biochemistry, Indiana University School of Medicine and VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN.The extract from an edible vine, Pueraria Lobata, has been widely used in China for various medicinal purposes. Puerarin, daidzin and daidzein are three major isoflavonoid compounds isolated from the extract of Pueraria Lobata. We have carried out studies to test for the anti-inebriation and the antidipsotropic effects of these antioxidants in rats. Experiments demonstrated that both daidzin and daidzein shortened alcohol-induced sleep-time in rats that received ethanol intragastrically, but not if ethanol was given intraperitoneally.
When daidzin was given to animals intragastrically with the ethanol solution, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was found to peak later and reached a lower maximal level than control rats that were given the ethanol solution only. BAC levels also receded more slowly if daidzin was fed to the animals. None of these three isoflavonoid compounds affected the activities of liver alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase when administered orally and therefore could not accelerate clearance of ethanol in circulation by liver enzymes. Further experiments indicated that the suppression of BAC by daidzin was due mainly to delay of stomach emptying.
The antidipsotropic effect of the isoflavonoids was tested in a genetically selected alcohol-preferring rat model (P-rats). All three compounds were effective in suppressing voluntary alcohol consumption by the P rats. The decrease in alcohol consumption was accompanied by an increase in water intake, so that the total volume of liquid consumed daily remained unchanged. Daily food consumption and body weight gain were not affected. Alcohol preference returned to baseline levels after discontinuation of isoflavonoids. The aversion toward alcohol produced by these compounds may be mediated via the central nervous system. Our studies thus demonstrate that isoflavonoid compounds extracted from Pueraria Lobata are effective in lessening alcohol intoxication and suppressing the appetite for alcohol when taken orally, raising the possibility that other constituents of edible plants may exert similar and more potent actions.
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