Legumes isoflavones

Daidzein-7-0-(6"-0-malonyl)glucoside Daidzein-7-0-(6"-0-acetyl)glucoside Figure 1.25 Legume isoflavone conjugates. 

YU o, JUNG w, SHI J, CROES R A, FADER G M, MCGONIGLE B and ODELL J T (2000) Production of the isoflavones genistein and daidzein in non-legume dicot and monocot tissues. Plant Physiol. 124 (2) 781-94. 

Soybeans (Glycine max) are protein-rich legumes widely grown around the world as a food crop. They are the major dietary source of isoflavones, which are broken down in the intestine into the phytoestrogens genis-... 

Isoflavonoids include the isoflavones genistein and daidzein, which occur mainly as the glycosides genistin and daidzin (see Figure 7.2), respectively, in soybeans and consequently in a wide range of soy-derived foods and to a lesser extent in other legumes. Traditional... 

Many flavonoids are known to be phytoalexins, antiviral agents, and to serve as antiinflammatory and antitumor compounds. Several isoflavones have estrogenic activity in mammals (70). (-)-Vestitol and sativan, isoflavans from Lotus species, are phytoalexins. 3R(-)-Vestitol from the resistant pasture legume Lotus pedunculatus, has been demonstrated to be a feeding deterrent... 

The most prevalent dietary isoflavones include genistein, daidzein, glyci-tein, biochanin A, and formononetin [Klejdus et al., 2007]. These compounds are primarily found in legumes where they occur as glucosides. This fact may affect the absorption rate of isoflavones and will be discussed in the next section. 

Jung W, Yu O, Lau S-M C, O Keefe DP, Odell J, Fader G, McGonigle B. 2000. Identification and expression of Isoflavone synthase, the key enzyme for biosynthesis of isoflavones in legumes. Nature 18 208-212. 

Isoflavones Inhibit estrogen uptake destroy cancer enzymes Beans, peanuts and other legumes, peas... 

Although isoflavones are present in several species of legumes, most of the research has been on soybean and soybean foods, due to the widespread use of soybean in traditional and modem foods (Liu, 1997 Messina, 1997). Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a health claim for the relationship between the consumption of soy protein and heart disease (Federal Register, 1999). This approval further encourages soy isoflavone research. There may be health claims that could be made in the future to associate the intake of the isoflavonoids and the lowering of the risk of certain chronic diseases. 

Fransworth and co-workers [8] have reported 94 plants as exhibiting estrogenic activity not all these plants are edible. Isoflavones are mainly found in legumes and particularly in soy. Soybeans and soy products are a... 

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