Enrichment aglycone phytoestrogens of the extract from soy germ: A comprehensive study

Phytoestrogens, structurally and functionally of mammalian estrogens, are phenolic soybean-derived compounds. The aglycone phytoestrogens in soy germ including daidzein, genistein, and glycitein have been known for higher biological activity than the other derivative forms. The objective of this study was to assess the potential for pure β-glucosidase to hydrolyze the glucoside isoflavones in phytoestrogens extract from the soy germ to enrich the aglycones content of the extract. The optimum condition for the enrichment of aglycones from soy germ evaporated extract is β-glucosidase at 4 units/g of defatted soy germ flour, and an incubation time of 5.5 hours. Under this condition, the hydrolysis of β-glycosides, malonyl glycosides, and acetyl glycosides, were more than 90%, 60%, and 60%, respectively. The isoflavone aglycones content was 31.36 ± 0.06 µmol/g (14.97 ± 0.03 µmol/g daidzein, 7.58 ± 0.05 µmol glycitein, 8.81 ± 0.02 µmol/g genistein) was 5 fold more than that of defatted soy germ flour.