Soy Isoflavone Genistein Is a Potential Agent for Metabolic Syndrome Treatment: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome has a high prevalence (about 22.4% in adult individuals) in developed countries. Inflammation due to obesity and fat accumulation is the most important factor in the progression of metabolic syndrome. In cells which have a receptor for insulin hormone, inflammatory mediators target the insulin signaling pathway and cause insulin resistance. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors are a group of ligand inducible transcription factors, whose activation can improve insulin resistance and their agonists such as Genistein, which seems to be useful in prevention of insulin resistance development. Genistein is one of the soy derived isoflavonoids that affects carbohydrate and lipid metabolism resulting in prevention of insulin resistance. The current narrative review has concentrated mainly on highlighting the usefulness of Genistein in the improvement of insulin resistance and therapeutic potential of it in both in-vitro and in-vivo models. Genistein can increase fatty acid β-oxidation, decrease lipogenesis and improve insulin resistance in hepatocytes. In adipocytes, Genistein prevents downregulation of adiponectin expression and facilitates the upregulation of adiponectin expression. In β-islet cells, Genistein initiates the special cascade which leads to proliferation of β cells, resulting in increased secretion of insulin. Based on findings of the studies, it can be concluded that Genistein can be a useful agent in prevention of de novo lipid synthesis as well as proliferation of β cells. In this way the development of metabolic syndrome can be prevented.

The SWGEDWGEIW from Soybean Peptides Reduces Insulin Resistance in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes by Activating p-Akt/GLUT4 Signaling Pathway

“…A variety of phytochemicals in soybeans have been shown to increase sugar absorption and reduce insulin resistance by activating the PI3K/Akt/GLUT4 signaling pathway [ 50 , 51 , 52 ]. A peptide obtained from fermented soybean food has the potential for glucose utilization through the PI3K/Akt/GLUT4 pathway [ 53 ], and it has been demonstrated that TSP can exert biological activity by specifically activating PI3K/Akt.…”

The effect of soy isoflavones supplementation on metabolic status in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized placebo controlled clinical trial

“…The underlying mechanisms explained by inducing effect of soy isoflavone on genes involved in fatty acid catabolism such as PPARα, AMPK and very long-chain acyl -CoA dehydrogenase in conjunction with suppressive effects on genes in charge of lipogenesis like SREBP-1c, PPARγ and acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 in animal models [72][73][74]. Totally, there are several recent studies investigating the effects of soy or soy isoflavones on metabolic syndrome, which have yielded with the positive results [75][76][77]. Overall, in this study soy isoflavones have led to improve MAFLD by positive effects on some markers of metabolic syndrome.…”

Exploring the Potential of Dietary Phytochemicals in Cancer Prevention: A Comprehensive Review

“…In some cases, genistein has been shown to accelerate the growth of certain ERs and the progression of estrogen-dependent breast cancer. 27 Understanding the potential benefits and complexities of genistein's interactions with ERs is crucial in harnessing its therapeutic potential for cancer prevention and treatment. Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms and optimize their use in clinical settings.…”