Soybean Extract

Soybean extract, use and synthesis method
Plant extract
Soybean extract is also called soy isoflavones. The product specifications are usually 10%, 20% and 40% soy isoflavones. Soybeans are seeds of leguminous plants. The rich isoflavones in soybeans are natural phytoestrogens, which can reduce the incidence of breast cancer in women, relieve menopausal symptoms, and increase bone density. Therefore, soy isoflavones have become a research hotspot in recent years. This information is edited and compiled by Shi Yan of Chemicalbook.
Source
It is the mature seeds of Glycine max (L.) Merr., a leguminous plant. Soybeans are grown in most parts of my country, with 24 production areas nationwide, such as Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, etc. There are 52 countries and regions in the world that grow soybeans, with China, the United States, Brazil, and Argentina being the major soybean exporters. In 1994, the United States produced 6,063 tons of soybeans, ranking first in the world, Brazil produced 2,468 tons, and China produced 1,640 tons, ranking second and third respectively.

Figure 1 shows soybean herbal medicine ingredients.
Isoflavones mainly include daidzein (1), genistein (2), and glycitein (3), as well as their glucosides, acetylglucosides, and malonyl glucosides. The glucosides are daidzin (4), genistin (5), and glycitin (6), etc. The malonyl glucosides are 6″-O-Malonyldaidzin (7), 6″-O-Malonylgenistin (8), and 6″-O-Malonylglyc-itin (9), and the acetylglucosides are 6″-O-Acetyldaidzin (10), 6″-O-Acctylgenistin (11), and 6"-O-Acctylglycitin (12). The content of isoflavones in various soybeans is 1200-4216μg/g, mainly glucoside and malonyl glucoside, with contents of 207-1698μg/g and 999-2518μg/g respectively.
Saponins include soyasapogenol A, B, C, D, E and their glycosides, which are mainly found in the hypocotyl of seeds, accounting for 0.1%-0.5% in seeds and 0.2%-0.3% in cotyledons.
There are also soybean phospholipids (about 2%-3%), choline, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and phytosterols.
Pharmacological effects
1. Estrogen-like effects
Soy isoflavones are a type of nonsteroidal estrogen with a chemical structure similar to that of estrogen. They can replace estrogen and bind to estrogen receptors to exert estrogen-like effects; they can also interfere with the binding of estrogen to receptors, showing anti-estrogen-like effects. They have a two-way regulatory effect on the body's estrogen levels and have a certain preventive effect on diseases related to estrogen deficiency in women during menopause, such as osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, and elevated blood lipids.
2. Anti-tumor effects
Soy isoflavones have significant anti-tumor effects, especially hormone-related tumors, such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. Genistein can effectively block the process of vascular proliferation and cut off the source of nutrients, thereby delaying or preventing tumors from becoming cancer. At the same time, it prevents free radicals from damaging DNA to reduce cancer. It can also effectively inhibit the occurrence of leukemia, colon cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, and gastric cancer.
Soybean saponins in soybean extract can inhibit tumor growth, inhibit DNA synthesis and cell metastasis of tumor cells, directly kill tumor cells, destroy their surface functions, and especially have a strong inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis of human leukemia cells; at the same time, it has an inhibitory effect on HIV pathogenicity and infectivity, and has a protective effect on X-rays. Therefore, it has a good resistance to the side effects caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy of tumor patients, and can also enhance the body's immunity.
3. Antioxidant effect
Genistein and daidzein are the main active ingredients, and genistein has the strongest antioxidant capacity. Both can inhibit the formation of lipid peroxides in rat liver microsomes induced by the Fe3+-ADP-NADPH system, and the Ic50 are 1.8×10-4M and 6.0×10-4M respectively. At the same time, they also have a significant inhibitory effect on the increase in peroxidation levels and the decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity in mice caused by alkaline phosphatase. Genistein can also increase the production of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the body.
4. Effects on the cardiovascular system
Soy isoflavones have the effects of lowering blood lipids and resisting atherosclerosis: Soy isoflavones can positively regulate LDL receptors and promote the removal of cholesterol; the antioxidant properties can reduce the deposition of LDL particles on the coronary artery wall; genistein can reduce basal fiber growth factor and inhibit the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells.
Soy saponins in soybean extract can inhibit lipid oxidation in serum, inhibit the formation of peroxides, and reduce the content of cholesterol in serum. They have anti-lipid oxidation, reduce lipid peroxidation, and can replace the damage of lipid peroxidation to liver cells, and inhibit the reduction of platelets and fibrin protein.
5. Immune effects
Soy isoflavones have the effect of improving nonspecific immunity.
6. Anti-inflammatory effects
As a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein can inhibit the formation of NO; ​​it can also inhibit the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced vascular permeability enhancement, and inhibit VEGF expression and release.