Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Communication
  • Published:

Daidzein and genistein content of cereals

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 56, pages 961–966 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To analyse 75 cereals and three soy flours commonly eaten in Europe for the phytoestrogens daidzein and genistein.

Design: The phytoestrogens daidzein and genistein were extracted from dried foods, and the two isoflavones quantified after hydrolytic removal of any conjugated carbohydrate. Completeness of extraction and any procedural losses of the isoflavones were accounted for using synthetic daidzin (7-O-glucosyl-4′-hydroxyisoflavone) and genistin (7-O-glucosyl-4′5-dihydroxyisoflavone) as internal standards.

Setting: Foods from the Cambridge UK area were purchased, prepared for eating, which included cooking if necessary, and freeze dried. Three stock soy flours were also analysed.

Results: Eighteen of the foods assayed contained trace or no detectable daidzein or genistein. The soy flours were rich sources, containing 1639–2117 mg/kg. The concentration of the two isoflavones in the remaining foods ranged from 33 to 11 873 µg/kg.

Conclusion: These analyses will supply useful information to investigators determining the intake of phytoestrogens in cereal products in order to relate intakes to potential biological activities.

Sponsorship: This work was supported by the United Kingdom Medical Research Council, Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (contract FS2034) and the United States of America Army (contract DAMD 17-97-1-7028).

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adlercreutz H, Mazur W . 1997 Phyto-oestrogens and Western diseases Ann. Med. 29: 95–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Akiyama T, Ishida J, Nakagawa S, Ogawara H, Watanabe S, Itoh N, Shibuya M, Fukami Y . 1987 Genistein, a specific inhibitor of tyrosine-specific protein kinases J. Biol. Chem. 262: 5592–5595

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bingham SA, Atkinson C, Liggins J, Bluck L, Coward A . 1998 Plant oestrogens: where are we now? Br. J. Nutr. 79: 393–406

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Franke AA, Hankin JH, Yu MC et al. 1999 Isoflavone levels in soyfoods consumed by multiethnic populations in Singapore and Hawaii J. Agric. Food Chem. 47: 977–986

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holland B, Unwin ID, Buss DH . 1988 Cereals and Cereal Products: Third Supplement to McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods (4th edn) Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn-Ross PL, Barnes S, Lee M, Coward L, Mandel JE, Koo J, John EM, Smith M . 2000 Assessing phytoestrogen exposure in epidemiologic studies: development of a database (United States) Cancer Causes Control 11: 289–298

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuiper G, Lemmen JG, Carlsson B, Corton JC, Safe SH, Vander Saag PT, Vander Burg P, Gustafsson JA . 1998 Interaction of estrogenic chemicals and phytoestrogens with estrogen receptor beta Endocrinology 139: 4252–4263

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liggins J, Bluck LJC, Coward WA, Bingham SA . 1998 Extraction and quantification of daidzein and genistein in food Anal. Biochem. 264: 1–7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liggins J, Bluck LJC, Runswick S, Atkinson C, Coward WA, Bingham SA . 2000a Daidzein and genistein content of fruit and nuts J. Nutr. Biochem. 11: 326–331

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liggins J, Bluck LJC, Runswick S, Atkinson C, Coward WA, Bingham SA . 2000b Daidzein and genistein content of vegetables Br. J. Nutr. 84: 717–725

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mazur W, Adlercreutz H . 1998 Natural and anthropogenic environmental phytoestrogens: the scientific basis for risk assessment. Naturally occuring oestrogens in food Pure Appl. Chem. 70: 1759–1776

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy PA, Song T et al. 1999 Isoflavones in retail and institutional soy foods J. Agric. Food Chem. 47: 2697–2704

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reinli K, Block G . 1996 Phytoestrogens content of foods Nutr. Cancer 26: 123–148

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Setchell KDR, Adlercreutz H . 1988 Mammalian lignans and phytoestrogens In: The Role of the Gut Flora in Toxicity and Cancer ed. I Rowland London: Academic Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Setchell KDR, Gosselin SJ, Welsh MB et al. 1987 Dietary estrogens—a probable cause of infertility and liver disease in captive cheetah Gastroenterology 93: 225–233

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shutt DA . 1976 The effects of plant oestrogens on animal reproduction Endeavor 35: 110–113

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shutt DA, Cox RI . 1972 Steroid and phytoestrogen binding to sheep uterine receptors in vivo J. Endocrinol. 52: 299–310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tang BY, Adams NR . 1980 Effects of equol on oestrogen receptors and on synthesis on DNA and protein in the immature rat uterus J. Endocrinol. 85: 291–297

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Than DM, Gardner CD, Haskell WL . 1998 Potential health benefits of dietary phytoestrogens: a review of the clinical, epidemiological and mechanistic evidence J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 83: 2223–2235

    Google Scholar 

  • Wakai K, Egami I, Kato K, Kawamura T, Tamakoshi A, Lin Y, Nakayama T, Wada M, Ohno Y . 1999 Dietary intake and sources of isoflavone among Japanese Nutr. Cancer 33: 129–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the following people: Dr L Bluck, Mrs M Harding, Mr K Jones, Miss N Duffy, Miss E Neeley, Miss C Jeffray, Miss L Keppel, Miss A Lam and Miss S Barker for their technical and scientific assistance.

Author information

Author notes

  1. SA Bingham: Guarantor: S Bingham.

  2. J Liggins, A Mulligan, S Runswick and SA Bingham: Contributors: JL conducted the analyses and prepared first draft of the manuscript, AM organized the results and contributed to the manuscript, SR organized food sampling and contributed to the manuscript. SB produced the final draft of the manuscript.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Research Council Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK

    J Liggins, A Mulligan, S Runswick & SA Bingham

  2. European Prospective Investigation of Cancer, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    A Mulligan & SA Bingham

Authors
  1. J Liggins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A Mulligan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S Runswick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. SA Bingham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to SA Bingham.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liggins, J., Mulligan, A., Runswick, S. et al. Daidzein and genistein content of cereals. Eur J Clin Nutr 56, 961–966 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601419

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601419

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links