• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 2012

Coumestrol is one of phytoalexins synthesized in response to environmental stress, and commonly found in natural foods such as alfalfa sprouts, clovers, and soybean. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism underlying protective effect of coumestrol against UVB-induced photoaging in human dermal fibroblasts. We found that pretreatment with coumestrol enhanced the UVB-suppressed mitochondrial biogenesis through regulation of Sirt1 expression and activity, and its downstream gene regulation such as PGC-$1{\alpha}$, NRF1, and TFAM. Moreover, the ATP and ROS production was restored to normal status and the formation of advanced glycation endproducts leading to skin photoaging in skin fibroblasts was blocked by coumestrol pretreatment before UVB irradiation. These findings indicate that coumestrol might potentially prevent skin photoaging induced by mitochondrial damage and glycated protein production in dermal fibroblasts.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.275-283
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• 2011

This study was conducted to evaluate the antihyperglycemic effects of three phytoestrogens, genistein, coumestrol, and enterolactone, in type 2 diabetic animals. Forty male C57BL/KsOlaHsd-db/db mice were used as a diabetic animal model. The animals were divided into four groups and fed a phytoestrogen-free AIN-76 diet (control), or one of three phytoestrogen-supplemented (3.75 mg/100 g diet) AIN-76 diets for six weeks. During the experimental period, fasting blood glucose levels were measured on week 0, 2, 5, and 6 of the experiment, and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed on the 5th week. After the experimental period, blood concentrations of HbA1c, insulin, and glucagon were measured, and hepatic glycogen content and glucose regulating enzyme activities were analyzed. Fasting blood glucose, HbA1c level, and the area under the blood glucose curve in the oral glucose tolerance test were significantly lower in all of the phytoestrogen-supplemented groups compared to the control group. Plasma glucagon levels were also significantly lower in all of the phytoestrogen-supplemented groups compared to the control group. Hepatic glycogen level was significantly higher in the coumestrol-supplemented group compared to the other groups. However, there were no significant differences in the activities of glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphatase between the groups. These results suggest that all of the three major phytoestrogens tested in the present study were effective in lowering blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic animals. However, further studies need to be conducted to elucidate the exact mechanism for the hypoglycemic effects of phytoestrogens.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.164-164
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• 2022

The soybean (Glycine max(L.) Merrill), an important food crop in the world, is popular because of its high quality protein and oil content. Soybeans as a food have long been known for their beneficial effects on health and are well-recognized globally. Isoflavones, significant soybean secondary metabolic products, may be crucial in avoiding some cancers and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disorders. This study investigates the correlation between plant growth regulator and the effect on the isoflavone levels in soybean leaves. The study was carried out in the green-house of the southern crop department in miryang. Soybeans(Seonpung) were cultivated in 1/2000 of the Wagner pot. Ethephon(500, 1000, 2000 ppm) and ABA(100, 200, 400 ppm) were used as plant growth regulators, and they were each treated on R2, R5, and R7 stage. After treatment, leaves were sampled three times at intervals of 5 days, and the content of 6 isoflavones and coumestrol was analyzed. Soybean isoflavones were analyzed using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (Acquity UPLC H-Class system, Waters). The isoflavones content showed an overall highly in the R5 stage, and the level was similar to that of no treatment in the R2 and R7 stage. The difference between the growth regulators was found to be higher than that of ethephon when ABA was treated. The coumestrol content was confirmed to be high in the order of R7, R5, and R2 on the treatment time, and it was found that the content increased as the treatment time was delayed. In the treatment with the growth regulator, the coumestrol content tended to be higher when ethephon was treated than ABA.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.102-106
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• 2006

The phytoestrogens including isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, biochanin A, formononetin, and glycitein), coumestrol, and lignans (secoisolariciresinol, matairesinol, and anhydrosecoisolariciresinol) were quantified in edible sea vegetables from Korea. Sea vegetable samples were collected based on domestic consumption data. After hydrolysis of phytoestrogen glycosides in prepared samples, aglycones of phytoestrogens were extracted with diethyl ether and analyzed with isotope dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode (ID-GC-MS-SIM). Total samples included 19 samples representing eight species. Most of the samples showed rather low concentrations, ranging from not determinated to $79.2\;{\mu}g/kg$ for isoflavones and from 106.4 to $694.8\;{\mu}g/kg$ for lignans. The daily intake of phytoestrogen from sea vegetables, estimated from the present data and domestic consumption data, was about $0.13\;{\mu}g/day$ for isoflavones and $2.0\;{\mu}g/day$ for lignans. When we compared these results with those from legumes, sea vegetables would not be considered the major source of phytoestrogens in the Korean diet.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.578-586
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• 2008

Phytochemicals study from the leaves of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], one of Korean edible plant materials were investigated through various chromatographic procedures. The methanolic leaves extracts of soybean yielded 16 phytochemicals, including 5 isoflavones 1-5, 3 flavones 6-8, 1 flavonol 9, 2 pterocarpans 10 and 11, 2 phenolic compounds 12 and 13, 2 phytosterols 14 and 15, and 1 sugar alcohol 16. The structures were fully characterized by analysis of physical and spectral data and were defined clearly as 4,5,7-trihydroxyisoflavone (1), 4,5,7-trihydroxyisoflavone-7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside (2), 4,7-dihydroxy-6-methoxyisoflavone (3), 4,7-dihydroxyisoflavone (4), 4,7-dihydroxyisoflavone-7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside (5), 5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone (6), 3',4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone (7), 3',4',5-trihydroxyflavone-7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside (8), 3,4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavonol (9), coumestrol (10), glyceofuran (11), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (12), methyl-4-hydroxybenzoate (13), soyasapogenol B (14), stigmasterol (15), and D-mannitol (16), respectively. Among them, phytochemicals 7-16 were reported for the first time on the isolation and confirmation from the leaves of this species. These results suggest that the leaves extracts of soybean may possess possible health related benefits to human due to the isolated phytochemicals 1-16 which have been well known potential effects on various chronic diseases.