487
increased hydration and thickening of the skin. Hyaluronic acid is a major component of skin where it is involved in tissue repair. Topical application of a gel formula containing 10% BFS to the human forearm for 3 months also improved skin
elasticity (Miyazaki et al. 2004).
In a pilot study performed by Draelos et al. (2007), two groups of 20 healthy
postmenopausal women were each instructed to consume their usual diet with or
without 20 g/d of an isoflavone-rich soy protein. There were statistically significant
improvements in facial-skin wrinkling, discoloration and overall appearance in the
supplement group.
Treatment of 30 postmenopausal women with 100 mg/d of an isoflavones-rich
soy extract for 6 months led to an increase in the epidermal thickness in 23 women
and collagen amount in the dermis in 25 women with a reduction in the papillary
index in 21 women. Further, the number of elastic fibres and dermal blood vessels
increased in 22 and 21 women, respectively (Accorsi-Neto et al. 2009).
A study was conducted on 26 premenopausal Japanese women, they were maintained on supplements that provided 40 mg/d isoflavones for 3 months, this led to a
statistically significant decrease in fine wrinkles with an increase in skin elasticity,
especially in week 8, compared to the placebo group (Stevenson and Thornton 2007).
22.4.7 Cardiovascular Health
Isoflavones binding to ER-β at low endocrine estrogen level, have an agonist effect
on estrogen in the cardiovascular system. Also, isoflavones can directly relax vessels by possibly enhancing the promotion of prostacyclin release and anti-inflammatory action and indirectly reduce plaques in vessels by inhibiting collagen-induced
aggregation and platelet activation, although the clear mechanisms are not known
(Cano et al. 2010). Physiologically, isoflavones are related in reducing lipid profiles
such as low-density lipoprotein against global oxidation in endothelial cells.
However, the role in total cholesterol and triglycerides is controversial (Cano et al.
2010). In the view of nutrition, many soy products contain high content of polyunsaturated fats, fibre, vitamins, and minerals and low content of saturated fat. Based
on these mechanisms and nutritional point of view, isoflavones are beneficial to
cardiovascular health by reducing cardiovascular burden in human. Recent metaanalyses using clinical trials to support the cardiovascular healthy role of isoflavones, reveals that isoflavones significantly increase flow-mediated dilatation in
vessels and decrease arterial stiffness relative to placebos although heterogeneity
across the studies was presented (Li et al. 2010; Pase et al. 2011).
Several phytochemicals that are extracted from the plants of the Fabaceae family
exhibited exclusive cardiovascular effects. Randrianarivo et al. (2014) evaluated the
toxic effects of extracts obtained from the seeds of nine different plants that belongs
to the Fabaceae family of Madagascar region. It has been reported that all the seed
extracts possess large quantities of alkaloids and saponins, where only the extracts
of A. masikororum and A. viridis triggers a positive inotrope effect towards isolated
22 Health Benefits of Isoflavones Found Exclusively of Plants of the Fabaceae Family
increased hydration and thickening of the skin. Hyaluronic acid is a major component of skin where it is involved in tissue repair. Topical application of a gel formula containing 10% BFS to the human forearm for 3 months also improved skin
elasticity (Miyazaki et al. 2004).
In a pilot study performed by Draelos et al. (2007), two groups of 20 healthy
postmenopausal women were each instructed to consume their usual diet with or
without 20 g/d of an isoflavone-rich soy protein. There were statistically significant
improvements in facial-skin wrinkling, discoloration and overall appearance in the
supplement group.
Treatment of 30 postmenopausal women with 100 mg/d of an isoflavones-rich
soy extract for 6 months led to an increase in the epidermal thickness in 23 women
and collagen amount in the dermis in 25 women with a reduction in the papillary
index in 21 women. Further, the number of elastic fibres and dermal blood vessels
increased in 22 and 21 women, respectively (Accorsi-Neto et al. 2009).
A study was conducted on 26 premenopausal Japanese women, they were maintained on supplements that provided 40 mg/d isoflavones for 3 months, this led to a
statistically significant decrease in fine wrinkles with an increase in skin elasticity,
especially in week 8, compared to the placebo group (Stevenson and Thornton 2007).
22.4.7 Cardiovascular Health
Isoflavones binding to ER-β at low endocrine estrogen level, have an agonist effect
on estrogen in the cardiovascular system. Also, isoflavones can directly relax vessels by possibly enhancing the promotion of prostacyclin release and anti-inflammatory action and indirectly reduce plaques in vessels by inhibiting collagen-induced
aggregation and platelet activation, although the clear mechanisms are not known
(Cano et al. 2010). Physiologically, isoflavones are related in reducing lipid profiles
such as low-density lipoprotein against global oxidation in endothelial cells.
However, the role in total cholesterol and triglycerides is controversial (Cano et al.
2010). In the view of nutrition, many soy products contain high content of polyunsaturated fats, fibre, vitamins, and minerals and low content of saturated fat. Based
on these mechanisms and nutritional point of view, isoflavones are beneficial to
cardiovascular health by reducing cardiovascular burden in human. Recent metaanalyses using clinical trials to support the cardiovascular healthy role of isoflavones, reveals that isoflavones significantly increase flow-mediated dilatation in
vessels and decrease arterial stiffness relative to placebos although heterogeneity
across the studies was presented (Li et al. 2010; Pase et al. 2011).
Several phytochemicals that are extracted from the plants of the Fabaceae family
exhibited exclusive cardiovascular effects. Randrianarivo et al. (2014) evaluated the
toxic effects of extracts obtained from the seeds of nine different plants that belongs
to the Fabaceae family of Madagascar region. It has been reported that all the seed
extracts possess large quantities of alkaloids and saponins, where only the extracts
of A. masikororum and A. viridis triggers a positive inotrope effect towards isolated
22 Health Benefits of Isoflavones Found Exclusively of Plants of the Fabaceae Family