A comparison of the characteristic properties between soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merrill) seeds with different seed coat colors

We profiled the health-promoting bioactive components in nine types of soybean seeds with different seed coat colors (yellow, green, brown, and black) and investigated the effects of different extraction solvents (methanol, ethanol, and water) on their antioxidant activities. The carotenoid and anthocyanin compositions varied greatly by seed color, and the phenolic acids, total phenol, and total flavonoid contents differed by genotype. The carotenoid content was relatively higher in soybean seeds with green and black seed coats than in those with a yellow seed coat while lutein was the most plentiful. The anthocyanin content was considerably higher in the soybean seed with the black seed coat. The results of the DPPH assay showed strong antioxidative activities in the methanol- and water-extracts compared to the ethanol-extract, irrespective of the seed coat colors. Moreover, the soybean seeds with the black seed coat exhibited the highest antioxidant activity among the samples, regardless of the extraction solvent used. Eighteen bioactive compounds were subjected to data-mining processes including principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis. Multivariate analyses showed that brown and black seeds were distinct from the yellow and green seeds in terms of the levels of carotenoids and anthocyanins, respectively. These results help our understanding of the compositional differences in the bioactive components among soybean seeds of various colors, providing valuable information for future breeding programs that seek to enhance the levels of compounds with health benefits.