Water-soluble genistin glycoside isoflavones up-regulate antioxidant metallothionein expression and scavenge free radicals

Ja Chung Mi, Ah Young Kang, Min Lee Kyung, Eunji Oh, Hee Jin Jun, Sang Yeon Kim, Hyuck Auh Joong, Tae Wha Moon, Sung Joon Lee, Kwan Hwa Park

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    54 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Genistin has antioxidant activities; however, its insolubility in water often limits its biological availability in vivo. Using a novel transglycosylation process, the solubility of genistin glycosides was increased 1000 to 10000-fold, but it was not known whether these modified genistin glycosides maintained antioxidant activity. We found that both genistin and its glycosides similarly up-regulated the transcription of several metallothionein (MT) antioxidant genes (MT1A, MT2A, MT1E, and MT1X), as well as the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) gene in HepG2 cells. This gene induction was mediated by the sequestration of zinc in the cytosol, which up-regulated the metal-responsive transcription factor-1 (MTF-1) that induced MT gene expression. Although not as effective as ascorbic acid, genistin glycosides possessed slightly greater reducing power than genistin. We concluded that genistin and genistin glycosides have a direct antioxidant effect and an indirect antioxidant effect, perhaps via induction of MT by activity of MTF-1.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)3819-3826
    Number of pages8
    JournalJournal of agricultural and food chemistry
    Volume54
    Issue number11
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2006 May 31

    Keywords

    • Genistin
    • Genistin glycosides
    • Metal-responsive transcription factor-1
    • Metallothioneins

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Chemistry
    • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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