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SECOND INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
ON THE ROLE OF SOY
IN PREVENTING AND TREATING CHRONIC DISEASESeptember 15-18, 1996
Brussells, Belgium
POSTER ABSTRACTSPHYTOESTROGENS IN LEGUMES
W. M. Mazur,* J. A. Duke;** K. Wahala,*** S. Rasku*** and H. Adlercreutz*
*Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki and Laboratory Department of Helsinki University Central Hospital, FIN-00290 Helsinki, Finland.
**United States Department of Agriculture, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705-2350 USA.
***Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 55, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Today dietary factors are considered important environmental risk determinants for Western diseases including hormone-dependent cancers (breast, prostate, endometrial cancers), colon cancer as well as coronary heart disease and osteoporosis. In addition to vitamins and minerals some biologically active compounds have been identified in plant foods. During the last decade attention has been focused on soy and soybean products. Several constituents have been isolated. These include isoflavones, phytosterols, protease inhibitors, inositol hexaphosphate and saponins. Our interest concentrates on hormone-like diphenolic phytoestrogens of dietary origin, the lignans and isoflavonoids. The precursors of the biologically active compounds originate in soybean products as well as other leguminous seeds. We developed isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (ID/GC/MS) method for quantitative determination of the phytoestrogens, formononetin, biochanin A, daidzein, genistein and coumestrol and the lignans secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol, in food samples. The isoflavonoid glycosides are converted by gut bacteria to hormone-like compounds. These metabolites with weak estrogenic and antioxidative activity occur in high concentrations in plasma and urine and have been documented to influence intracellular enzymes, protein synthesis, growth factor action, malignant cell proliferation, differentiation and angiogenesis. The highest levels of these compounds are found in individuals in countries or regions with low cancer and cardiovascular disease incidence. We measured with ID/GC/MS method the four isoflavonoids and coumestrol and the two lignans in 39 cultivars of 20 species of the legume family. The analysis of these pulses yielded high levels of isoflavonoids (0-185334.9 mg/100g) but lower levels of lignans (0-1584.5 mg/100g). The highest results were confirmed with gas chromatography. Because of the properties of the phytoestrogens and epidemiological findings, the legumes in respect to their abundant concentrations of the isoflavonoids, are strong candidates for a role as natural cancer protective plants.
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