Brij Pal Singh

Functional significance of bioactive peptides derived from soybean

Biologically active peptides play an important role in metabolic regulation and modulation. Several studies have shown that during gastrointestinal digestion, food processing and microbial proteolysis of various animals and plant proteins, small peptides can be released which possess biofunctional properties. These peptides are to prove potential health-enhancing nutraceutical for food and pharmaceutical applications. The beneficial health effects of bioactive peptides may be several like antihypertensive, antioxidative, antiobesity, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, hypocholesterolemic and anticancer. Soybeans, one of the most abundant plant sources of dietary protein, contain 36-56% of protein. Recent studies showed that soy milk, an aqueous extract of soybean, and its fermented product have great biological properties and are a good source of bioactive peptides. This review focuses on bioactive peptides derived from soybean; we illustrate their production and biofunctional attributes.

β‐Glucosidase activity and bioconversion of isoflavones during fermentation of soymilk

BACKGROUND Lactobacillus rhamnosus C6 strain showed higher β-glucosidase activity as well as biotransformation of isoflavones from glycones (daidzin and genistin) to aglycones (daidzein and genistein) in soymilk. However, L. rhamnosus C2 and Lactobacillus casei NCDC297 also exhibited similar activity during soymilk fermentation. These three strains can be selected for the development of functional fermented soy foods enriched with aglycone forms of isoflavones, such as soy yoghurt, soy cheese, soy beverages and soy dahi. RESULTS The study determined β-glucosidase activity of probiotic Lactobacillus cultures for bioconversion of isoflavones to aglycones in fermenting soymilk medium. Soymilk was fermented with six strains (L. rhamnosus C6 and C2, L. rhamnosus NCDC19 and NCDC24 and L. casei NCDC17 and NCDC297) at 37 °C for 12 h. The highest β-glucosidase activity and isoflavone bioconversion after 12 h occurred by L. rhamnosus C6 culture during fermentation in soymilk. Increased isoflavone aglycone content in fermented soymilk is likely to improve the biological functionality of soymilk (e.g. antioxidant activity, alleviation of hormonal disorders in postmenopausal women, etc.). CONCLUSION Lactobacillus rhamnosus C6 culture can be used for the development of functional fermented soy-based products.