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Gauging the impact of soy consumption on human health

mark L. Failla, Human nutrition Joshua a. Bomser, Human nutrition John gunn, molecular Virology, immunology and medical genetics Past research has identified a variety of potential health benefits of soy consumption, including reduced risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer. As a result, researchers were keen to identify health-promoting compounds in soy products, which could then be used to fortify foods. To date, minimal research had focused on soy saponins and how they promote health. Saponins are a diverse family of chemical compounds present in many plants, with a strong concentration in soybeans. For centuries, Asian medicine has used saponins to treat intestinal aliments and skin infections. Past research has also demonstrated beneficial properties of saponins, which can lead to reduced inflammation, allergies, and cancer risk. However, animal and human studies have shown that saponins are poorly absorbed. Based on earlier findings, the Ohio State University team hypothesized that soya saponins would decrease the risk and/or severity of gastrointestinal disease caused by infectious bacteria. Thus, the team examined the ability of soya saponins to regulate the adherence and invasiveness of the pathogenic bacterium Salmonella enteritica to cells lining the small intestine and thus reduce inflammation. The research team grew the bacteria in both the absence and presence of soya saponin, and then added them to human intestinal cells. They found that after exposure to concentrations of soya saponin that can be present in the intestine after eating a meal containing soy products, bacterial adherence to the intestinal cells decreased by 50 percent, and the number of bacteria invading these cells decreased by 60 percent. The next critical step was to develop effective methods to characterize the complete mixture of saponins in soy food

mark L. Failla

products. The research team collaborated with Drs. Steven Schwartz and Yael Vodovotz in the Ohio State University Department of Food Science and Technology, who were developing an analytical method to investigate the relative stability of saponins during the making of bread enriched with soy and chickpea (another food with high amounts of saponins), as well as their stability and absorptive capacity during digestion of the saponin-containing breads. The various saponin types performed in different ways some were stable during the bread-making process, but others were lost. In general, the most abundant saponins were stable after simulated digestion, suggesting their potential to promote a healthy gut. The overall findings suggest that soya saponins have the potential to block bacterial adhesion to the surface of intestinal cells and reduce the risk and severity of gastrointestinal infection. This is similar to the ability of compounds in cranberries to block binding of pathogenic bacteria to the wall of the urinary tract, thereby decreasing the incidence and severity of urinary tract infections. The researchers are now focusing their attention on the healthpromoting activities of those saponins in soy and chickpeas that remain stable during bread-making and digestion.

Past research has demonstrated beneficial properties of saponins, which can lead to reduced inflammation, allergies, and cancer risk.

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SEEDS: The OARDC Research Enhancement Competitive Grants Program