Isoflavone-rich soy isolate reduces lipid peroxidation in mouse liver

The purpose of this study was to determine if an isoflavone-rich soy isolate affords protection against peroxidative damage in vivo. Weanling C57BL6 male mice were fed a basal diet (AIN-93G) supplemented with either nothing or 1.08 gram isoflavone-rich soy isolate/kg diet for 60 days. The soy isolate contained 400 mg/g isoflavone aglycones (226 mg/g genistein and 174 mg/g daidzein). Immediately following sacrifice liver was processed for measuring the levels of lipid peroxidation products, malondialdehyde (MDA) and conjugated dienes, and the levels of alpha-tocopherol, glutathione (GSH), and ascorbic acid, as well as the activities of catalase, selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se-GPx), selenium-nondependent glutathione peroxidase (non-Se-GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Compared with the control group, mice fed the diet supplemented with soy isolate had significantly (p<0.05) lower hepatic levels of MDA and conjugated dienes. The activities of catalase and SOD were significantly increased (p<0.05) in the liver of soy isolate-supplemented mice. The levels of vitamin E, GSH, and ascorbic acid and the activities of Se-GPx and non-Se-GPx were not significantly altered by the soy isolate. The results obtained provide experimental evidence that isoflavone supplementation confers protection against peroxidative damage to membrane lipids in vivo, possibly through enhancing the activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and SOD.