We examined the effects of lactic acid fermented soymilk, in which part of the soymilk was replaced with okara (soy yogurt), on plasma and hepatic lipid profiles in rats fed a cholesterol-free diet. Additionally, we investigated the effects of soy yogurt on hepatic gene expression in rats using DNA microarray analysis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 5 weeks (n ¼ 5/group) were fed a control diet (AIN-93) or a test diet in which 20% of the diet was replaced by soy yogurt for 7 weeks. Soy yogurt consumption did not affect body weight or adipose tissue weight as compared with control diet. In the soy yogurt group, the liver weight and hepatic triglyceride content were significantly lower than the control group, and the level of plasma cholesterol was also lower. Furthermore, DNA microarray analysis indicated that soy yogurt ingestion down-regulated the expression of the SREBP-1 gene and enzymes related to lipogenesis in the rat liver, while expression ofoxidation-related genes was up-regulated. These results suggest that soy yogurt is beneficial in preventing hepatic lipid accumulation in rats.

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We investigated the e#ect of lactic acid-fermented soymilk, in which a portion of soymilk was replaced with okara, on plasma and liver lipid concentrations in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-cholesterol diet (control diet) or test diet in which ,*῍ of the diets were replaced by soymilk, fermented soymilk or a fermented soymilk/okara mixture. Fermented soymilk/ okara was expected to be smoother in taste because finely powdered okara was used, instead of intact soybeans. Only rats fed a fermented soymilk/okara diet showed a significantly and continuously lower level of plasma total cholesterol. The hepatic triglyceride concentration in the rats fed the soymilk and fermented soymilk/okara diets showed significantly lower levels than rats fed the control diet. These results suggest that a mixture of fermented soymilk and okara has a significant advantage of the beneficial e#ects of okara, and shows greater plasma cholesterol-lowering and hepatic lipid-lowering e#ects than fermented soymilk alone. Therefore, fermented soymilk/ okara is available as a functional food for prevention of hyperlipidemia. In addition, okara, which has been discarded as industrial waste, could be e$ciently used as fermented soy food.

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