Daidzein
Encyclopedia
Daidzein belongs to the group of isoflavones. Daidzein and other isoflavone compounds, such as genistein
, are present in a number of plant
s and herbs like the Thai Kwao Krua or Pueraria mirifica
, Kudzu
or Pueraria lobata, and in food sources such as soybean
s and soy products like tofu
and textured vegetable protein
. Soy isoflavones are a group of compounds found in and isolated from the soybean. Besides functioning as antioxidant
s, many isoflavones have been shown to interact with animal
and human
estrogen receptor
s, and are therefore known as phytoestrogens
. Soy isoflavones also produce non-hormonal effects.
Isoflavones act as antioxidants to counteract damaging effects of free radicals in tissues. Isoflavones can act like estrogen in stimulating development and maintenance of female characteristics or they can block cells from using other forms of estrogen. Isoflavones also have been found to have antiangiogenic effects (blocking formation of new blood vessels), and may block the uncontrolled cell growth associated with cancer, most likely by inhibiting the activity of substances in the body that regulate cell division and cell survival (growth factors). Laboratory studies using animals models have shown that both soy and isoflavones might be protective against cancer when given during early life but might stimulate response to cancer-causing chemicals when given during fetal development or when circulating levels of estrogen are low (menopause).
Daidzein is not a drug. It has not been tested in clinical trials to make sure that it is both safe and effective for treating any disease. Daidzein is available as a dietary supplement. Dietary supplements are not drugs, and the labelling of dietary supplements cannot describe the supplement as having any drug activity or effectiveness.
or for the perceived protective effects against breast cancer
, particularly after a well documented low incidence rates of breast cancer
and high soy food intake among Asian women. But taking soy supplements carries serious risks of harm, especially in people who already have cancer
and are taking drugs to treat the cancer. Experimental evidence in cells and in animals show that even low concentration stimulates breast tumor
growth in in vitro
and in vivo
, and interfere with the antitumor effect of the cancer drug, tamoxifen
. T47D:A18/PKC alpha tumor growth
was demonstrated to be stimulated by genistein
, but partially inhibited by daidzein; however, coadministration of TAM
with either daidzein or genistein
produced tumor
s of greater size. On the other hand an epidemiological study suggests a hypothesis that soy isoflavones consumed at levels comparable to those in Asian populations may reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in women receiving TAM
therapy and moreover, appears not to interfere with the drug efficacy. Supportingly daidzein was demonstrated to induce human MCF-7 breast cancer cell line apoptosis
through the mitochondrial caspase
-dependent cell death pathway
.
. Antioxidants are important in maintaining normal physiology
. Some people think that antioxidants might prevent aging by eliminating harmful free radicals but there is no evidence that this is true in humans. Scientific studies of daidzein's antioxidant abilities have given contradictory results: some studies have shown antioxidant properties
in laboratory experiments on cells, but in other experiments daidzein has caused oxidative stress
on cells.
Genistein
Genistein is one of several known isoflavones. Isoflavones, such as genistein and daidzein, are found in a number of plants including lupin, fava beans, soybeans, kudzu, and psoralea being the primary food source, also in the medicinal plant, Flemingia vestita and coffee Besides functioning as...
, are present in a number of plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s and herbs like the Thai Kwao Krua or Pueraria mirifica
Pueraria mirifica
Pueraria mirifica, also known as กวาวเครือ Kwao Krua , is a plant found in northern and north eastern Thailand and Myanmar....
, Kudzu
Kudzu
Kudzu is a plant in the genus Pueraria in the pea family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. It is a climbing, coiling, and trailing vine native to southern Japan and southeast China. Its name comes from the Japanese name for the plant, . It is a weed that climbs over trees or shrubs and grows so...
or Pueraria lobata, and in food sources such as soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
s and soy products like tofu
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
and textured vegetable protein
Textured vegetable protein
Textured or texturized vegetable protein , also known as textured soy protein , soy meat, or soya meat is a meat analogue or meat extender made from defatted soy flour, a by-product of extracting soybean oil...
. Soy isoflavones are a group of compounds found in and isolated from the soybean. Besides functioning as antioxidant
Antioxidant
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...
s, many isoflavones have been shown to interact with animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
and human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
estrogen receptor
Estrogen receptor
Estrogen receptor refers to a group of receptors that are activated by the hormone 17β-estradiol . Two types of estrogen receptor exist: ER, which is a member of the nuclear hormone family of intracellular receptors, and the estrogen G protein-coupled receptor GPR30 , which is a G protein-coupled...
s, and are therefore known as phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are plant-derived xenoestrogens functioning as the primary female sex hormone not generated within the endocrine system but consumed by eating phytoestrogonic plants...
. Soy isoflavones also produce non-hormonal effects.
Isoflavones act as antioxidants to counteract damaging effects of free radicals in tissues. Isoflavones can act like estrogen in stimulating development and maintenance of female characteristics or they can block cells from using other forms of estrogen. Isoflavones also have been found to have antiangiogenic effects (blocking formation of new blood vessels), and may block the uncontrolled cell growth associated with cancer, most likely by inhibiting the activity of substances in the body that regulate cell division and cell survival (growth factors). Laboratory studies using animals models have shown that both soy and isoflavones might be protective against cancer when given during early life but might stimulate response to cancer-causing chemicals when given during fetal development or when circulating levels of estrogen are low (menopause).
Daidzein is not a drug. It has not been tested in clinical trials to make sure that it is both safe and effective for treating any disease. Daidzein is available as a dietary supplement. Dietary supplements are not drugs, and the labelling of dietary supplements cannot describe the supplement as having any drug activity or effectiveness.
Biological activities
Scientists have studied some of the activities of daidzein in their laboratories, working with cells or with animals such as mice. Studies in cells and in animals sometimes give hints as to what a chemical might do when given to humans, but no one can know what a chemical does in humans until the chemical is tested in a clinical trial.Activation of PPARs
Isoflavone daidzein transactivates all three PPAR isoforms, α, δ, and γ and influences target cells. Similar to another isoflavone genistein, daidzein at concentrations between 1 and 100 uM activates PPARs in a dose dependent way in KS483 mesenchymal progenitor cells, breast cancer MCF-7 cells, T47D cells and MDA-MD-231 cells. Studies have shown that both ERs and PPARs influence each other and therefore induce differential effects in a dose-dependent way. The final biological effects of daidzein are determined by the balance among these pleiotrophic actions.Cell proliferation studies
Daidzein, like other isoflavones, has both estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effects. Soy supplements are often consumed by women for alleviating menopausal symptomsMenopause
Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining...
or for the perceived protective effects against breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
, particularly after a well documented low incidence rates of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
and high soy food intake among Asian women. But taking soy supplements carries serious risks of harm, especially in people who already have cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and are taking drugs to treat the cancer. Experimental evidence in cells and in animals show that even low concentration stimulates breast tumor
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
growth in in vitro
In vitro
In vitro refers to studies in experimental biology that are conducted using components of an organism that have been isolated from their usual biological context in order to permit a more detailed or more convenient analysis than can be done with whole organisms. Colloquially, these experiments...
and in vivo
In vivo
In vivo is experimentation using a whole, living organism as opposed to a partial or dead organism, or an in vitro controlled environment. Animal testing and clinical trials are two forms of in vivo research...
, and interfere with the antitumor effect of the cancer drug, tamoxifen
Tamoxifen
Tamoxifen is an antagonist of the estrogen receptor in breast tissue via its active metabolite, hydroxytamoxifen. In other tissues such as the endometrium, it behaves as an agonist, hence tamoxifen may be characterized as a mixed agonist/antagonist...
. T47D:A18/PKC alpha tumor growth
PKC alpha
Protein kinase C alpha , also known as PRKCA, refers to both a human gene and the protein that is encoded by it.-Background:...
was demonstrated to be stimulated by genistein
Genistein
Genistein is one of several known isoflavones. Isoflavones, such as genistein and daidzein, are found in a number of plants including lupin, fava beans, soybeans, kudzu, and psoralea being the primary food source, also in the medicinal plant, Flemingia vestita and coffee Besides functioning as...
, but partially inhibited by daidzein; however, coadministration of TAM
Tamoxifen
Tamoxifen is an antagonist of the estrogen receptor in breast tissue via its active metabolite, hydroxytamoxifen. In other tissues such as the endometrium, it behaves as an agonist, hence tamoxifen may be characterized as a mixed agonist/antagonist...
with either daidzein or genistein
Genistein
Genistein is one of several known isoflavones. Isoflavones, such as genistein and daidzein, are found in a number of plants including lupin, fava beans, soybeans, kudzu, and psoralea being the primary food source, also in the medicinal plant, Flemingia vestita and coffee Besides functioning as...
produced tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
s of greater size. On the other hand an epidemiological study suggests a hypothesis that soy isoflavones consumed at levels comparable to those in Asian populations may reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in women receiving TAM
Tamoxifen
Tamoxifen is an antagonist of the estrogen receptor in breast tissue via its active metabolite, hydroxytamoxifen. In other tissues such as the endometrium, it behaves as an agonist, hence tamoxifen may be characterized as a mixed agonist/antagonist...
therapy and moreover, appears not to interfere with the drug efficacy. Supportingly daidzein was demonstrated to induce human MCF-7 breast cancer cell line apoptosis
Apoptosis
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death that may occur in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes and death. These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, and chromosomal DNA fragmentation...
through the mitochondrial caspase
Caspase
Caspases, or cysteine-aspartic proteases or cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed proteases are a family of cysteine proteases that play essential roles in apoptosis , necrosis, and inflammation....
-dependent cell death pathway
Apoptosis
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death that may occur in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes and death. These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, and chromosomal DNA fragmentation...
.
Antioxidant
Phytoestrogens are often strong antioxidant compoundsAntioxidant
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...
. Antioxidants are important in maintaining normal physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
. Some people think that antioxidants might prevent aging by eliminating harmful free radicals but there is no evidence that this is true in humans. Scientific studies of daidzein's antioxidant abilities have given contradictory results: some studies have shown antioxidant properties
Antioxidant
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...
in laboratory experiments on cells, but in other experiments daidzein has caused oxidative stress
Oxidative stress
Oxidative stress represents an imbalance between the production and manifestation of reactive oxygen species and a biological system's ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or to repair the resulting damage...
on cells.
Glycosides
- DaidzinDaidzinDaidzin is a natural organic compound in the class of phytochemicals known as isoflavones. Daidzin can be found in Japanese plant Kudzu and from soybean leaves.Daidzin is the 7-O-glucoside of daidzein....
is the 7-O-glucosideGlucosideA glucoside is a glycoside that is derived from glucose. Glucosides are common in plants, but rare in animals. Glucose is produced when a glucoside is hydrolysed by purely chemical means, or decomposed by fermentation or enzymes....
of daidzein. - PuerarinPuerarinPuerarin is one of several known isoflavones. Puerarin is found in a number of plants and herbs like the root of Pueraria notably of the kudzu plant.Puerarin is the 8-C-glucoside of daidzein....
is the 8-C-glucoside of daidzein.