Genistein is a naturally occurring isoflavone found in soy. Mice homozygous for the ∆F508 mutation are characterized with severe intestinal disease and require constant laxative treatment for survival. This pathology mimics the intestinal obstruction (meconium ileus) seen in some cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We therefore tested whether dietary supplementation with genistein would reduce the dependence of the ∆F508 CF mouse model on laxatives for survival, thereby improving mortality rates. At weaning (21 days), we maintained homozygous ∆F508 mice on three diet regimens for a period of up to 65 days; normal diet, normal diet + Colyte or genistein diet. Survival rates for males were as follows: standard diet (38%), standard diet plus Colyte (83%) or genistein diet (60%). Survival rates for females were as follows: standard diet (47%), standard diet plus Colyte (71%), or genistein diet (87%). Average weight of male mice fed genistein diet increased by ~2.5 g more compared to those with Colyte treatment. Genistein diet did not change final body weight of females. Expression of SGLT-1 increased 2-fold with genistein diet in females (no change in males). Expression of GLUT2 and GLUT5 was comparable between all diet groups. Genistein diet reduced the number of goblet cells per micometer of crypt depth in female, yet was without effect in males. We conclude that supplementation of diet with genistein for ~45 days increases the survival rate of female ∆F508-CF mice precluding the requirement for laxatives, and only improves weight gain in males.

The latest scientific literature outlines a resilient interconnection between cancer modulation and dietary polyphenols by sphingolipid-mediated mechanisms, usually correlated with a modification of their metabolism. We aim to extensively survey this relation to show how it could be advantageous in cancer treatment or prevention by nutrients. Polyphenols, chemically characterized by polyhydroxylated phenolic structure, are well known for their pervasive pharmacological properties: anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antiseptic, antitumor, antiallergic, cardioprotective and others. Pervasive is also their distribution in food products especially in plant foods as vegetables, cereals, legumes, fruits, nuts and beverages as wine, cider, beer, tea, cocoa. Recently, sphingolipids have been correlated with cancer by a dysregulation of their rheostat emerging as mediator of cell proliferation in cancer and modulator of chemotherapeutics.

To determine the mode of action of the effects of phytoalexins in soybeans, we analyzed enzyme inhibition kinetics using Michaelis–Menten plots and the Lineweaver–Burk plots. The results showed that glyceollin showed competitive inhibition, genistein showed noncompetitive, daidzein was uncompetitive, and luteolin showed a mixed mode of action. The Ki values were determined using a Dixon plot as: glyceollin, 18.99; genistein, 15.42; luteolin, 16.81; and daidzein, 9.99 μM, respectively. Furthermore, potential synergistic effects between glyceollin and the three designated polyphenols were investigated. A combination of glyceollin and luteolin (the ratio of 3:7 of glyceollin and luteolin) had synergistic effects on α-glucosidase inhibition according to combination index (CI)-isobologram equation. Collectively, these results showed that a combination of glyceollin and luteolin has the potential to inhibit α-glucosidase activity via a synergistic mode of action.

Soybean a pulse of considerable nutritional value due to its high protein, fibers and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents, also contains phytoestrogenic compounds that definitely hinder its recommendation for general consumption. Contrarily to ancient times when soybeans were boiled, modern commercial soy-foods can contain up to 150 mg/100g of estrogenic isoflavones. Interestingly, current estimations of isoflavone intake in the literature do not distinguish between the origins of soy-food i.e. home-made or commercial. As a result, the isoflavone exposure in Asian countries may well be over-estimated. This study aims to demonstrate, based on step-by-step monitoring of isoflavones, that traditional and domestic treatments, leveraging isoflavones water-solubility, can indeed significantly reduce their content in soy-foods. Indeed, when compared to commercial foods, the isoflavone contents was found to be 20, 2.6, 4.5 and 9.8 times lower in “home-made” soy-juice, tofu, tempeh and miso, respectively. Additionally, water soaking was found to reduce the isoflavones levels in soy-textured-proteins by more than 70%. Hence, this simple process has the potential to help drastically reduce overall xenoestrogens exposure. This study could serve as a basis for establishing the isoflavones Reference Dose and issuing food safety guidelines.

Implantable drug-delivery systems provide new means for achieving therapeutic drug concentration over a prolonged time to achieve better tissue protection and enhanced recovery. The hypothesis of the current study was to test the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of genistein and nanofibers on the spinal cord tissue following experimental spinal cord injury (SCI). Rats were treated post SCI with genistein loaded on chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CS/PVA) nanofibers as an implantable drug-delivery system. SCI caused marked oxidative damage and inflammation as evident by the reduction in the super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the level of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in injured spinal cord tissue, as well as, the significant increase in the levels of nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Treatment of rats post SCI with genistein and CS/PVA nanofibers improved most of the above mentioned biochemical parameters and shifted them toward the control group values. Genistein induced an increase in the activity of SOD and the level of IL-10, while causing a decrease in the levels of NO, MDA and TNF-α in injured spinal cord tissue. Genistein and CS/PVA nanofibers provide a novel combination for treating inflammatory nervous tissue conditions, especially when combined as an implantable drug-delivery system.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer in both men and women alike, but it is more prevalent in women. Natural compounds that can modulate the oncogenic process can be considered a significant anti-cancer agent for treating BC. These natural compounds are more effective than synthetic drugs, which have profound side effects on the normal cell and resistance to cancer cells. Genistein is a type of dietary phytoestrogen included in the flavonoid group with a similar structure of estrogen that might provide a strong alternative and complementary medicine to existing chemotherapeutics drugs. Several research studies demonstrated that it can target the estrogen receptor (ER), Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), and Breast cancer gene-1 (BRCA-1) in multiple BC cell lines, as well as sensitize cancer cell lines to this compound when used at an optimal inhibitory concentration. Genistein effectively showed anti-cancer activities through apoptosis induction, arresting cell cycle, inhibiting angiogenesis with metastasis, reducing inflammation, mammosphere formation, tumor growth, up-regulating tumor suppressor gene, and downregulating oncogene in suppressing cancer progression in vitro and animal model study. In addition, research studies have also suggested that these phytochemicals synergistically reverse the resistance mechanism of chemotherapeutic drugs, increasing the efficacy of some chemoinformatics drugs. Our review article aims to unbox and validate the molecular pharmacology in breast tissue, cell-specific anti-cancer mechanism with synergistic activity, and possible pharmacokinetic parameters of Genistein as a potential alternative therapeutic option for the treatment of BC.

Flavonoids, compounds present in many dietary supplements, affect growth of different bacterial species when tested as purified or synthetic substances. Here, we asked if soy isoflavone extracts, commonly used in many products sold as anti-menopausal dietary supplements, influence bacterial growth similarly to synthetic isoflavone, genistein. Four commercially available products were tested in amounts corresponding to genistein concentrations causing inhibition of growth of Vibrio harveyi (a model bacterium sensitive to this isoflavone) and Escherichia coli (a model bacterium resistant to genistein). Differential effects of various extracts on V. harveyi and E. coli growth, from stimulation, through no changes, to inhibition, were observed. Moreover, contrary to genistein, tested extracts caused a decrease (to different extends) in viability of human dermal fibroblasts. These results indicate that effects of various soy isoflavone extracts on bacterial growth and viability of human cells are different, despite similar declared composition of the commercially available products.