Soybean saponin

Hypocholesterolemic effects of soybean saponins have been dimonstrated. Isolated soybean saponins reduced diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in rats through an increase in bile acid excretion... 

They also form complexes with bile acids and reduce their absorption in vitro. The anticarcinogenic properties of soybean saponins are apparently related to their ability to bind with bile acids. 

In addition to fish oil, nutrigenomic studies have identified other possible modulators of TNF-a production and/or release in vitro. Kang et al. reported that soybean saponins suppressed the release of TNF-a by LPS-stimulated murine peritoneal macrophages.100 Horrigan et al. demonstrated that concentrations of caffeine that were relevant to human consumption consistently suppressed the production of TNF-a in human blood.101 Clearly, more studies that address the anti-inflammatory effects of food components in studies involving humans are warranted. 

Kang J-H, Sung M-K, Kawada T et al. Soybean saponins suppress the release of proin-flammatory mediators by LPS-stimulated peritoneal macrophages. Cancer Lett. 2005, 230 219-227. 

Fig. 10.7. Structures of soybean saponin agiycones (sapogenin) (Lin Wang, 2004).

Jun, H. S. Kim M. Sung. Protective effect of soybean saponins and major antioxidants against aflatoxin B1-induced mutagenicity and DNA-adduct formation. /. Medicinal Food, 2002, 5, 235-240. 

Lin, J. C. Wang. Soybean saponins chemistry, analysis, and potential health effects. Soybeans as Functional Foods and Ingredients K. Liu, Ed. AOCS Press Champaign, IL, 2004 pp. 73—100. 

Oh, Y. M. Sung. Soybean saponins inhibit cell proliferation by suppressing PKC activation and induce differentiation of HT-29 human colon adenocarcinoma cells. Nutr. Cancer, 2001, 39, 132-138. 

Shibayama, N. Reduction of blood cholesterol level by soybean saponins. Food Style 21, 2003, 7, 73-77. 

Ueda, H. A. Matsumoto S. Goutani. Effects of soybean saponin and soybean protein on serum cholesterol concentration in cholesterol-fed chicks. Anim. Sci. Technol. 1996, 67, 415-422. 

Soybean saponins have been shown to be detrimental to the larvae of Callosobruchus chinensis, an oligophagous insect that lives on several legumes but that cannot live on soy beans, peanuts, and certain other legumes. 

Maximum production of soyasapogenol B (about 152.3 mg/50 ml) was obtained using 1.5%(w/v) soybean saponin and 1.5%(w/v) glucose, at 32°C after 72 h at pH 7 using phosphate buffer. Under these optimal conditions, the bioconversion efficiency increased from 20.5 to 85.3%. The isolation of soyasapogenols... 

Main sapogenols obtained in the acidic hydrolysis of soybean saponins [106]. 

Bioconversion of soybean saponin by different Aspergillus strains. By courtesy of Amin et al. [107], 20111nforma Healthcare. 

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