Rapid High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Quantification of Major Isoflavones in Soybeans and Soybean Pastes

A simple HPLC quantification method was developed for genistein, genistin, daidzein, and daidzin in soybeans and soybean products. The procedure used a $4.6{\times}100\;mm$ $Chromolith^{(R)}$ RP-18e column with a mobile phase of 1% HOAc in 20% MeOH to 1% HOAc in 80% MeOH for 10 min. The injection volume was $2\;{\mu}L$ at a flow rate of 2 mL/min. Detection was carried out under UV at 254 nm. Under these conditions, the major isoflavones daidzein, daidzin, genistein, and genistin in soybean and soybean pastes were eluted within 7 min with baseline separation. Optimal extraction of the above four major isoflavones was achieved when 40 g of soybean or soybean paste was refluxed in 100 mL of 95% ethanol for 2 hr. Ten different soybean cultivars and nine commercial soybean pastes were analyzed by this method. The total isoflavone content was highest in the cultivar Somyung ($2,497\;{\mu}g/g$ dry weight). The isoflavone content in soybean pastes varied widely from manufacturer to manufacturer (an almost five-fold difference between the highest and lowest values). Such variations were presumably due to differences in fermentation conditions, type of soybeans used, and levels of such additives as starch and salt.