Flavonoids are a large group of compounds found in plants. As plant pigments they are largely responsible for the colors of many fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. Plant flavonoids have many valuable properties and are often antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, and anticarcinogens. Over 4,000 flavonoid compounds have been identified and classified according to their molecular stru...

Soy protein diets lower plasma cholesterol in hyperlipoproteinemic human subjects, as well as in animal models. We fed 7-wk-old male obese (fa/fa) and lean Zucker rats a modified AIN-76 diet (20 g protein/kg diet) containing casein (C), low isoflavone soy protein (38 mg isoflavones/kg diet; LI), or high isoflavone soy protein (578 mg isoflavones/kg diet; HI) for 70 d. In obese rats, plasma tota...

Soyfoods are a unique dietary source of isoflavones, which have both hormonal and non-hormonal effects relevant to prostate cancer prevention. In vitro, the main soybean isoflavone, genistein, inhibits prostate cancer cell growth; in animals, most but not all studies show isoflavonel rich soy protein and isolated isoflavones inhibit prostate tumor development. Currently, although only limited e...

BACKGROUND Previous research supports a role for soy protein in reducing serum lipids; however, few studies involved healthy male subjects or focused on soy isoflavones (or did both). OBJECTIVE The objective was to ascertain the effects of soy protein varying in isoflavone content on serum lipids in healthy young men. DESIGN Thirty-five males (x +/- SD age: 27.9 +/- 5.7 y) consumed milk pro...

The purpose of this study is to determine the importance of coupling of efflux transporters and metabolic enzymes in the intestinal disposition of six isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, formononetin, glycitein, biochanin A, and prunetin), and to determine how isoflavone structural differences affect the intestinal disposition. A rat intestinal perfusion model was used, together with rat intestin...

Chemopreventive and potential therapeutic effects of soy isoflavones have been shown to be effective in numerous preclinical studies as well as clinical studies in prostate cancer. Although the inhibition of androgen receptor signaling has been supposed as one mechanism underlying their effects, the precise mechanism of androgen receptor inhibition remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to cla...

Soy isoflavones are promising dietary agents for prevention of breast cancer. Isoflavones bind estrogen receptors (ER) and may variably act as either estrogen agonists or antagonists depending on the estrogen environment. In this study, we used a postmenopausal primate model to evaluate interactive effects of dietary soy isoflavones and estrogen on risk markers for breast cancer. The experiment...

High morbidity and mortality associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are largely attributable to late stage diagnosis. Despite significant advances in therapeutic strategies, the five-year survival rate for oral cancer remains at about 50%. A chemopreventive approach may be an effective alternative or adjunct to current therapies. Previous studies have shown anti-tumor effects of is...

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of vitamin D(3) plus calcium supplements (D(3)-calcium) on pharmacokinetics of isoflavones in Thai postmenopausal women. This study was an open-labeled, randomized three-phase crossover study. Twelve healthy subjects were randomized to receive one of the following regimens: (a) a single dose of isoflavones, (b) a single dose of isoflavone...