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Soy is a basic food ingredient of traditional Asian cuisine used for thousands of years. In Western countries, soybeans have been introduced about a hundred years ago and recently they are mainly used for surrogate foods production. Soy and soy foods are common nutritional solutions for vegetarians, due to their high protein content and versatility in the production of meat analogues and milk substitutes. However, there are some doubts about the potential effects on health, such as the effectiveness on cardiovascular risk reduction or, conversely, on the possible disruption of thyroid function and sexual hormones. The soy components that have stimulated the most research interest are isoflavones, which are polyphenols with estrogenic properties highly contained in soybeans. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of soy and soy foods, focusing on their nutrient content, including phytoestrogens and other bioactive substances that are noteworthy for vegetarians, the largest soy consumers in the Western countries. The safety of use will also be discussed, given the growing trend in adoption of vegetarian styles and the new soy-based foods availability.

Isoflavones are polyphenols primarily contained in soybean. As phytoestrogens, isoflavones exert beneficial effects on various chronic diseases. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of death due to arteriosclerosis in individuals with various pathological conditions, including obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. Although the health benefits of soybean-derived isoflavones are widely known, their beneficial effects on the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome are incompletely understood. This review aims to describe the association between soybean-derived isoflavone intake and the risk of metabolic syndrome development. We reviewed studies on soy isoflavones, particularly daidzein and genistein, and metabolic syndrome, using PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. We describe the pathological characteristics of metabolic syndrome, including those contributing to multiple pathological conditions. Furthermore, we summarize the effects of soybean-derived daidzein and genistein on metabolic syndrome reported in human epidemiological studies and experiments using in vitro and in vivo models. In particular, we emphasize the role of soy isoflavones in metabolic syndrome-induced cardiovascular diseases. In conclusion, this review focuses on the potential of soy isoflavones to prevent metabolic syndrome by influencing the onset of hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and arteriosclerosis and discusses the anti-inflammatory effects of isoflavones.

An analysis of global soya-bean production forecasts massive deforestation in Brazil — stakeholders must act fast to prevent it, warn Richard Fuchs and colleagues. An analysis of global soya-bean production forecasts massive deforestation in Brazil — stakeholders must act fast to prevent it, warn Richard Fuchs and colleagues. Soy fields border untouched Cerrado forest in the Matopiba region of Brazil

Background and Objectives: Soy products are essential to the daily life of the Chinese population. However, the association between soy products and serum uric acid remains unclear. Better understanding of their relationship could provide food choice information for patients with gout. This study assessed the acute effects of soy and soy products on serum uric acid. Methods and Study Design: Sixty healthy adult male volunteers were recruited and randomly assigned to six groups. Ten participants in each group randomly ingested one of six foods: water, soy, and four different soy products. A blood test was conducted after 3 h to examine uric acid concentration. Results: The serum uric acid concentration significantly increased by 21.4+-23.4 mumol/L at 1 h and 16.3+-19.4 mumol/L at 2 h following ingestion of whole soybeans. These changes also applied to the soy powder group. The serum uric acid concentration rapidly increased by 38.1+-20.5 mumol/L at 1 h, 34.4+-18.2 mumol/L at 2 h, and 24.1+-24.2 mumol/L at 3 h after the ingestion of soybean milk. The maximum concentration of serum uric acid was observed at 1 h after intake of soybeans and soy products, and then gradually decreased during the subsequent 2-h period. No significant uric acid changes from ingesting bean curd cake and dried bean curd stick were detected. Conclusions: Ingesting different soy products resulted in different concentrations of serum uric acid, with soybeans, soybean milk, and soy powder considerably increasing serum uric acid.

Branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) are bioactive food components that constitute about 2 % of fatty acids in cows' milk fat. There are few systematic data available on the BCFA content of other foods to estimate dietary intakes. In the present study, we report BCFA distribution and content of fresh and processed foods representing the major foods in the American diet and estimate BCFA intake. BCFA are primarily components of dairy and ruminant food products, and are absent from chicken, pork and salmon. The mean BCFA intake of 500 mg/d was delivered primarily from dairy and beef food products; by comparison, average intake of the widely studied long-chain PUFA EPA and DHA has been estimated to be 100 mg/d. Common adjustments in the diet could double the daily intake of BCFA. The fermented foods sauerkraut and miso had appreciable fractions of BCFA, but, overall, they are low-fat foods providing very small amounts of BCFA in the diet, and other fermented foods did not contain BCFA as might have been expected from the influence of microbial exposure. These data support the quantitative importance of BCFA delivered primarily from dairy and beef food products and highlight the need for research into their effects on health.

The seasonal temperature dependency of soy sauce fermentation poses significant challenges to flavor consistency, particularly under low-temperature conditions (e.g., 15°C in winter), where diminished aroma arises from microbial metabolic constraints. Traditional multi-year field studies to decipher these mechanisms are impractical for rapid industrial optimization. In this study, we present an innovative laboratory-based seasonal temperature simulation fermentation system that precisely replicates climatic conditions (15–37°C) of the Lingnan region, enabling accelerated investigation of microbial dynamics and targeted strain interventions. Our findings revealed that, compared to the 30°C (simulating the autumn season) fermented soy sauce, which exhibits optimal flavor, 15°C (simulating the winter season) had a weaker flavor of soy sauce due to the low relative abundance of specific strains, especially Staphylococcus lloydii , Leuconostoc lactis , and Kodamaea ohmeri . Those three strains were added into the low-temperature fermentation process, Staphylococcus lloydii and Kodamaea ohmeri promoted the formation of soy sauce key aroma compounds, such as benzene acetaldehyde, 1-octen-3-ol, and ethyl acetate. Our research offers the soy sauce industry a feasible tool to efficiently and cost-effectively test the reinoculation of functional microbial strains, thereby ensuring consistent flavor profiles throughout the year.

The main goal of the present study was to address the effect of feeding fermented soybean meal-based diet to Atlantic salmon on gut microbiota. Further, expression of genes of interest, including cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide ( cath ), mucin 2 ( muc2 ), aquaporin ( aqp8ab ), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen ( pcna ), in proximal intestine of fish fed either experimental diet was analyzed. Three experimental diets, including a control fishmeal (30% FM), soybean meal (30% SBM), or fermented soybean meal diet (30% FSBM) were randomly assigned to triplicate tanks during a 50-day trial. The PCR-TTGE showed microbiota composition was influenced by experimental diets. Bands corresponding to genus Lactobacillus and Pediococcus were characteristic in fish fed the FSBM-based diet. On the other hand, bands corresponding to Isoptericola , Cellulomonas , and Clostridium sensu stricto were only observed in fish FM-based diet, while Acinetobacter and Altererythrobacter were detected in fish fed SBM-based diet. The expression of muc2 and aqp8ab were significantly greater in fish fed the FSBM-based diet compared with the control group. Our results suggest feeding FSBM to Atlantic salmon may (1) boost health and growth physiology in fish by promoting intestinal lactic acid bacteria growth, having a prebiotic-like effect, (2) promote proximal intestine health by increasing mucin production, and (3) boost intestinal trans-cellular uptake of water. Further research to better understands the effects of bioactive compounds derived from the fermentation process of plant feedstuff on gut microbiota and the effects on health and growth in fish is required.

Soy sauce is a major source of dietary sodium in Malaysia. Reformulating soy sauce to reduce its sodium content may help lower population salt intake. This study aimed to (1) assess sodium content of Malaysian soy sauces; (2) evaluate manufacturer readiness for reformulation; (3) develop reduced sodium soy sauce formulations; and (4) determine consumer acceptability and shelf life stability. A mixed-methods study was conducted in two phases: (1) needs assessment through sodium analysis of 102 soy sauces from supermarkets and interviews with 19 employees; and (2) development of reduced sodium soy sauce formulations, followed by consumer sensory testing (n = 52) and accelerated shelf life assessment. Salty (4987 ± 1429 mg/100 g) and light soy sauces (5710 ± 1488 mg/100 g) contained significantly higher sodium than sweet soy sauces (3368 ± 863 mg/100 g; p  < 0.05). Manufacturers acknowledged the importance of salt reduction but cited barriers including consumer acceptance, regulatory requirements, costs, and limited research and development capacity. Among the reformulated products, soy sauce with 9% salt plus yeast extract (≈3600 mg sodium/100 g) was most preferred and remained shelf-stable for one year. Reformulation of soy sauce with lower sodium content is feasible without compromising safety or palatability. Wider adoption by manufacturers, supported by incentives and regulatory adjustments, could reduce population salt intake in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: In South East Asia, concerns exist about the acceptability of peanut-based Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic-Foods (RUTF) for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Therefore, an alternative, culturally acceptable RUTF made from locally available ingredients and complying with local food traditions and preferences was developed. The current study evaluated its acceptability and impact on anthropometry. METHODS: The study was a randomized, two-arm, cross-over intervention trial to test the acceptability of the local product (bar) against a commercially available, peanut-based RUTF paste (Plumpy’nut®). Children (n = 67) from two kindergartens in a rural area of North Vietnam were recruited. The age of the children was between 3 and 5 years. RESULTS: The Vietnamese RUTF was well-accepted, although overall acceptability was less than of Plumpy’nut®, with the latter scoring higher on palatability (P < 0.05). In contrast, reluctance to eat Plumpy’nut® was higher than for the Vietnamese RUTF (P < 0.05). Impact on anthropmetrical indices was similar for both RUTF. The nutritional status of the children who consumed the two RUTF over a 4 week period improved significantly, with a mean weight gain of 0.64 (SD 0.27) Kg, and increases in WHZ and HAZ z-scores of 0.48 (SD 0.30) and 0.05 (SD 0.13) respectively (P < 0.01 both). Weight gain was similar between the 2 products (0.32 kg per 2 weeks for both). CONCLUSIONS: Both the commercial Plumpy’nut® and the local produced RUTF were accepted although the harder consistency of the local product might have caused the lower overall acceptance. The promising increase in nutritional status needs to be confirmed in a controlled trial in children with SAM.

A high concentration of biogenic amines have been reported to be hazardous for human health. This article is an analytical report on one lot to identify the changes of biogenic amines in each period of soy sauce brewing and clarify the key control point for biogenic amine production. The content of putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, spermine, tryptamine, phenylethylamine, histamine, serotonin, tyramine, and agmatine was detected in the -making and fermenting process. The content of putrescine increased from 27.11 ± 1.05 to 185.86 ± 1.18 mg/kg in the koji-making process, indicating that putrescine is the main biogenic amine produced by microbes in this period. The content of tryptamine increased to the highest value of 581.77 ± 36.38 mg/L on day 24 of the fermenting process and then decreased rapidly to 81.98 ± 0.20 mg/L at the end (day 122). In addition, histamine and tyramine reached the highest values (486.91 ± 24.67 and 180.84 ± 2.32 mg/L, respectively) after 52 days of fermentation, followed by a decrease to 287.24 ± 15.00 and 144.67 ± 3.61 mg/L, respectively, at the end of the fermenting process. The samples were further characterized by the analysis of other indices, including the content of water, salt, soluble saltless solids, crude fat, total acid, amino acid nitrogen, total nitrogen, and ammonium salt. The content of soluble saltless solids decreased from 9.28 ± 0.16 to 5.30 ± 1.40 g/100 g during the first 38 days of fermentation, followed by an increase to 14.68 ± 1.12 g/100 g during the last 84 days. The content of total acid, crude fat, amino acid nitrogen, total nitrogen, and ammonium salt all increased rapidly in the early stage of the fermenting process and then slowed down.