The inducible soybean glyceollin phytoalexins with multifunctional health-promoting properties

The glyceollins are soybean-derived phytoalexins that accumulate in the seeds in response to various extrinsic factors. Several elicitors such as fungi, UV irradiation and physical injury have been demonstrated to alter the secondary metabolome of soybeans via induction of glyceollin synthesis and accumulation. The pterocarpan phytoalexins have exhibited antiestrogenic activity against estrogen receptor-mediated cellular processes. As a result, the glyceollins display anticancer activities against breast and ovarian cancers through inhibition of tumor growth and progression, and also by inducing cell cycle arrest in the cancer cells. Moreover, glyceollins were found to exhibit antimicrobial activity against pathogenic fungi, cellular antioxidant activities against endotoxin-induced oxidative stress, and regulatory effects on glucose metabolism and endotoxin-induced inflammatory response. The soybean-derived compounds warrant further studies to evaluate detailed molecular mechanisms during aberrant cellular processes, safety and efficacy in animal disease models and human subjects, and potential use for food preservation. The bioactivity of glyceollins can result in the enrichment of soybean with these phytoalexins for improved health functions and other novel applications. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.