Estrogenic activity of glyceollins isolated from soybean elicited with Aspergillus sojae.

Abstract

Glyceollins, which are synthesized from daidzein in soybeans cultured with fungi, have been shown to have antifungal effects and cancer preventive properties. Several studies have proposed that isoflavones and their metabolites act as a mixed agonist/antagonist for estrogen. Although glyceollins were reported to suppress some cancer cells via anti-estrogenic activity, it is not clear whether the compounds possess estrogenic potential. In contrast to the anti-estrogenic action reported thus far, we observed estrogenic effects of glyceollins using E-screen assay and pS2 expression, whereas glyceollins showed higher affinity for estrogen receptor (ER) beta than ERalpha. We also found that glyceollins were more efficiently produced de novo in minced than in half-sliced soybean, following infection with Aspergillus sojae. In conclusion, glyceollins may be useful in the prevention or amelioration of postmenopausal complications because they had strong estrogenic activity, and their production could be variable depending upon processing prior to fungal inoculation.

• Authors: Hyo Jung Kim, Hwa-Jin Suh, Jeong Hwan Kim, Sun Chul Kang, Sunmin Park, Choong Hwan Lee, Jong-Sang Kim
• Journal: Journal of medicinal food (J Med Food) Vol. 13 Issue 2 Pg. 382-90 (Apr 2010) ISSN: 1557-7600 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20192844 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Phytoestrogens
• Plant Preparations
• Pterocarpans
• Receptors, Estrogen
• TFF1 protein, human
• Trefoil Factor-1
• Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Topics

• Aspergillus
• Breast Neoplasms (metabolism)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Female
• Humans
• Phytoestrogens (isolation & purification, metabolism, pharmacology)
• Plant Preparations (metabolism, pharmacology)
• Pterocarpans (isolation & purification, metabolism, pharmacology)
• Receptors, Estrogen (metabolism)
• Seeds (metabolism, microbiology)
• Soybeans (metabolism, microbiology)
• Trefoil Factor-1
• Tumor Suppressor Proteins (metabolism)