Association between soybean product consumption and executive function in Chinese Tibetan children and adolescents.

Objective: This sought to explore the association between soybean product consumption and executive function (EF) in Chinese Tibetan adolescents in high-altitude areas. Methods: A total of 1,184 Tibetan children and adolescents were tested on demographic variables, soybean product consumption, and executive function in Lhasa and Nagchu regions of Tibet, China, using stratified whole population sampling. One-way ANOVA, linear regression analysis, and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the associations existing between soybean product consumption and executive function. Results: The proportions of Hardly ever, Occasionally, and Often in Soy Consumption among Tibetan children and adolescents in high altitude areas of Tibet, China were 21.7, 50.3, and 28.0%, respectively. The difference in 2 back reaction time among Tibetan children and adolescents with different soybean product consumption was statistically significant (F = 6.374, p = 0.002). The difference in conversion function reaction time was also statistically significant (F = 8.129, p < 0.001). Taking the soybean product consumption ≥6 t/w group as the reference group, after adjusting the relevant factors, those with soybean product consumption ≤1 t/w showed a statistically significant increase in Inhibit Function Dysfunction (OR = 1.844, 95% CI: 1.152, 2.951) and Conversion Function Dysfunction (OR = 2.008, 95% CI: 1.106, 3.646) had an increased risk of Conversion Function Dysfunction (OR = 2.008, 95% CI: 1.106, 3.646), which was significantly different (p < 0.05). Conclusion: There is an association between soybean product consumption and inhibitory control and translational flexibility of brain executive functions in Chinese Tibetan children and children and adolescents at high altitude.

Gender-specific effects of soybean consumption on cardiovascular events in elderly individuals from rural Northeast China - a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of consuming soybean and its products on cardiovascular events (CVEs), cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the prospective association of soybean consumption with CVEs, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality among the elderly population in rural China. METHODS: The Northeast China Rural Cardiovascular Health Study included 2477 elderly individuals (mean age 67 ± 6 years, 49.97% men) in the initial phase of the study from 2012 to 2013, with a follow-up period between 2015 and 2017. Soybean consumption was categorized as follows: low-frequency consumption: rare consumption; moderate-frequency consumption: two to three times/week; high-frequency consumption: ≥ four times/week. Cox proportional hazard analysis assessed the potential relationship of soybean consumption with CVEs, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The prevalence of soybean and its product consumption was as follows: 38.3% for low-frequency consumption (43.8% for women; 32.8% for men), 49.7% for moderate-frequency consumption (45.8% for women; 53.7% for men), and 11.9% for high-frequency consumption (10.4% for women; 13.5% for men). After adjusting for possible confounders, Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that the frequency of soybean consumption was an effective predictor of CVEs [Hazard ratio (HR) high (95% CI): 0.555 (0.348, 0.883)], stroke [HR moderate (95% CI): 0.672 (0.494, 0.913); HR high (95% CI): 0.483 (0.276, 0.842)], and all-cause mortality [HR high (95% CI): 0.540 (0.310, 0.942)] in the overall older population. High-frequency consumption of soybean [HR (95% CI): 0.467 (0.225, 0.968)] and moderate-frequency consumption [HR (95% CI): 0.458 (0.270, 0.779)] were associated with stroke events in older men and women, respectively. In addition, high-frequency consumption of soybean [HR (95% CI): 0.437 (0.197, 0.968)] decreased the risk of CVEs in older women. CONCLUSION: Soybean consumption is closely associated with CVEs and all-cause mortality in older individuals residing in rural areas, with a significant gender discrepancy in this relationship. These findings provide new insights into the impact of soybean consumption on cardiovascular well-being in the elderly rural population, thus enhancing our understanding of this field of interest.

Microbial community succession and its correlation with the dynamics of flavor compound profiles in naturally fermented stinky sufu.

Wuhan stinky sufu is a traditional fermented soybean product with a short ripening period and unique flavor. The aim of this study was to explore the characteristic flavor compounds and core functional microbiota of naturally fermented Wuhan stinky sufu. The results indicated that 11 volatile compounds including guaiacol, 2-pentylfuran, dimethyl trisulfide, dimethyl disulfide, acetoin, 1-octen-3-ol, (2E)-2-nonenal, indole, propyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl 4-methylvalerate, nonanal were characteristic aroma compounds, and 6 free amino acids (Ser, Lys, Arg, Glu, Met and Pro) were identified as taste-contributing compounds. 4 fungal genera (Kodamaea, unclassified_Dipodascaceae, Geotrichum, Trichosporon), and 9 bacterial genera (Lysinibacillus, Enterococcus, Acidipropionibacterium, Bifidobacterium, Corynebacterium, Lactococcus, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, and Acinetobacter) were identified as the core functional microbiota with positive effects on the production of flavor compounds. These findings would enhance the understanding of core flavor-producing microorganisms in naturally fermented soybean products and potentially provide guidance for enhancing the quality of sufu.

Soybean product consumption decreases risk of gastric cancer: results from the Health Examinees Study.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological findings on the association between soybean product consumption and gastric cancer risk remain inconsistent. We evaluated the relationship between soybean product consumption and the risk of gastric cancer in a prospective cohort study in Korea. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included a total of 139,267 participants aged 40-69 years from the Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) study between 2004 and 2013. Information on cancer diagnosis was retrieved from the Korea Central Cancer Registry until 31 December 2018. Multivariate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% of confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of gastric cancer according to the consumption of soybean products were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: A total of 767 incident cases of gastric cancer occurred over an average follow-up period of 9.21 years. We found that men who consumed two servings per week had 37% lower risk of gastric cancer compared with who consume those who almost never consumed (HR for tofu consumption of more than two servings/week vs. almost never consumed was 0.63 (95% CI 0.45, 0.89); p for trend = 0.04). Among men with a BMI of less than 25 kg/m2, increased consumption of soybean paste (p for trend = 0.02) and tofu (HR 0.51 (95% CI 0.32, 0.82 for more than two servings/week vs. almost never consumed); p for trend = 0.01) was associated with decreased risk of gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a high consumption of soybean products has a protective effect against gastric cancer.

Processing technology optimization for tofu curded by fermented yellow whey using response surface methodology.

The technological applications utilized for tofu processing are diverse and complex, resulting in different yields and quality characteristics of tofu. The current study investigated the gel-forming principle of soybean protein coagulated using fermented yellow whey (FYW) to produce tofu. The effects of several processing parameters (soybean-to-water ratio, boiling temperature, boiling time, and FYW content) on the yield and protein content of tofu produced by the boiling-to-filtering method (BFM) were studied and optimized using response surface methodology. Results indicated significant differences in yield and protein content of tofu using different processing parameters, with FYW content being the most significant (p < .05). Optimum processing parameters of the BFM were found to be: soybean-to-water ratio of 1:5 (kg:kg), boiling time 6.1 min, boiling temperature 105°C, and FYW content of 26%. Under optimum conditions, tofu's yield and protein content were 235.17 g/100 g and 10.60%, respectively, and these were 47.93 g/100 g and 4.16% higher than those before optimization. This study provides practical technical support and a theoretical basis for the standardized industrial production of high-yield and high-protein tofu.

Anaerobic biodegradation of soybean-process wastewater: Operation strategy and sludge bed characteristics of a high-performance Spiral Symmetric Stream Anaerobic Bioreactor.

A 300m3/d demonstration project of soybean-process wastewater has been established recently with a Spiral Symmetric Stream Anaerobic Bioreactor (SSSAB) as the core. In order to obtain the optimal operation strategy for a full-scale SSSAB and to make it run efficiently and stably in a demonstration project, a Pilot-scale SSSAB (P-SSSAB, effective volume 100 L) was performed for the treatment of soybean-process wastewater over 216 days. The volumetric load rate (VLR) range of the P-SSSAB was 0.32~27.17 kg COD/(m3·d), where the highest VLR [27.17 kg COD/(m3·d)] was 2.01 times to the highest value [13.5 kg COD/(m3·d)] reported. The pH and VFA/ALK of the effluent from the P-SSSAB were in the range of 6.9 up to 9.2 and 0.03 up to 0.17, respectively. The methane yield of the P-SSSAB increased from 0.03 m3/kg COD to 0.47 m3/kg COD, which was 3.36 times to the maximum value (0.14 m3/kg COD) reported. To meet the influent requirement of the aerobic biological treatment in demonstration project (influent COD ≤ 1.5 g/L), the maximum VLR of SSSAB was optimal at about 22 kg COD/(m3·d). By analyzing the sludge bed characteristics of the P-SSSAB, it was obvious that zone I (the bottom of the bed) was the major contributor of the COD removal, while zone III (the upper part of the bed) was the major contributor for the NH4+-N increase. The anaerobic granular sludge (AGS) in the bed showed a good granulation. The average MLVSS/MLSS value in sludge bed was about 0.7, and PN/PS in TB-EPS (zone I, II and III) increased to 6.830, 4.257, and 3.747, respectively. SMA and coenzyme F420 values of zone III were the maximum [666.35 ml CH4/(g VSS·d) and 0.690 mol/g VSS, respectively]. According to the analysis obtained from the 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, the microbial community in the AGS had been more specific to the soybean-process wastewater since the bacteria Firmicutes were increased. The relative abundance of microbe which perform direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) for the syntrophic degradation of VFAs and production of the methane has been increased significantly, such as the bacteria Syntrophomonas and archaea Methanosaeta.

Dietary fiber intake from fresh and preserved food and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: observational evidence from a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: The role of dietary fiber intake on risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. We examined the associations of dietary fiber intake on the risk of NPC adjusting for a comprehensive list of potential confounders. METHODS: Using data from a multicenter case-control study, we included 815 histologically confirmed NPC incident cases and 1502 controls in Hong Kong, China recruited in 2014-2017. Odds ratios (ORs) of NPC (cases vs controls) for dietary fiber intake from different sources at different life periods (age 13-18, age 19-30, and 10 years before recruitment) were evaluated using unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for sex, age, socioeconomic status, smoking and drinking status, occupational hazards, family history of cancer, salted fish, and total energy intake in Model 1, Epstein-Barr virus viral capsid antigen serological status in Model 2, and duration of sun exposure and circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D in Model 3. RESULTS: Higher intake of total dietary fiber 10 years before recruitment was significantly associated with decreased NPC risk, with demonstrable dose-response relationship (P-values for trend = 0.001, 0.020 and 0.024 in Models 1-3, respectively). The adjusted ORs (95% CI) in the highest versus the lowest quartile were 0.51 (0.38-0.69) in Model 1, 0.48 (0.33-0.69) in Model 2, and 0.48 (0.33-0.70) in Model 3. However, the association was less clear after adjustment of other potential confounders (e.g. EBV) in the two younger periods (age of 13-18 and 19-30 years). Risks of NPC were significantly lower for dietary fiber intake from fresh vegetables and fruits and soybean products over all three periods, with dose-response relationships observed in all Models (P-values for trend for age 13-18, age 19-30 and 10 years before recruitment were, respectively, 0.002, 0.009 and 0.001 for Model1; 0.020, 0.031 and 0.003 for Model 2; and 0.022, 0.037 and 0.004 for Model 3). No clear association of NPC risk with dietary fiber intake from preserved vegetables, fruits and condiments was observed. CONCLUSION: Our study has shown the protective role of dietary fiber from fresh food items in NPC risk, but no association for total dietary fiber intake was observed, probably because total intake also included intake of preserved food. Further studies with detailed dietary information and in prospective settings are needed to confirm this finding, and to explore the possible underlying biological mechanisms.

Nutrient digestibility of soybean products in grower-finisher pigs1.

Solvent extraction of soybean creates soybean meal (SBM), but an array of other soybean products can be created using further processing of SBM or soybean. For accurate inclusion of these products in pig feed, characterization of digestible AA profile and energy value is required. Soybean products from processes such as extrusion (EX) of soybean and thermo-mechanical (TM) treatment, bioconversion using fermentation or enzymes (BC), and ethanol-water extraction (EW) of soybean meal were collected together with SBM. These 9 soybean products were tested in cornstarch-based diets together with an N-free diet for a total of 10 diets. Ten ileal-cannulated barrows (30.4 ± 0.7 kg initial BW) were fed 10 diets at 2.8 times maintenance DE for six 9-d periods with a 6 (periods) × 10 (pigs) Youden square. The control SBM contained 47.0% CP, 1.4% ether extract, and ADF 6.0%. The 9 soybean products contained 35.6% to 66.4% CP, 0.9% to 21.6% ether extract, and 4.4% to 8.0% ADF. The EW soybean products were high in CP (>61%), whereas the 2 EX soybean products were low in CP (<36%) but high in ether extract (≥19%). Chemically available Lys ranged from 92.6% to 100% of total Lys, indicating that minor Lys damage occurred during processing. The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy was lower (P < 0.05) for soybean products with greater ether extract and ADF content than SBM, and varied among soybean products. The standardized ileal digestibility (SID) did not differ (P > 0.05) among soybean products for most AA, except for lower SID of Arg, Ile, Leu, Lys, Phe, and Tyr (P < 0.05) for EX2 and BC1 than other soybean products. The DE and predicted NE value did not differ (P > 0.05) among soybean products. The greater SID AA content (P < 0.05) in EW, BC, and TM1 soybean products than SBM was mainly a result of greater total AA content due to removal of other macronutrients. In conclusion, extrusion of soybean creates soybean products with a greater energy value but lower ATTD of energy and lower SID AA content than SBM. Further processing of SBM creates soybean products with greater CP and SID AA content but similar SID of AA than SBM. Thus, new technologies to process SBM or soybean create high-value ingredients to be included in pig diets, especially for young pigs with high nutritional requirements.

Comparative Evaluation of Six Traditional Fermented Soybean Products in East Asia: A Metabolomics Approach.

Many ethnic fermented soybean products (FSPs) have long been consumed as seasoning and protein sources in East Asia. To evaluate the quality of various FSPs in East Asia, non-targeted metabolite profiling with multivariate analysis of six traditional FSPs (Natto; NT, Cheonggukjang; CG, Doenjang; DJ, Miso; MS, Doubanjiang; DB, Tianmianjiang; TM) was performed. Six FSPs could be clearly distinguished by principle component analysis (PCA) and partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Amino acid contents were relatively higher in NT and CG, sugar and sugar alcohol contents were relatively higher in MS and TM, isoflavone glycoside contents were relatively highest in CG, isoflavone aglycon contents were the highest in DJ, and soyasaponin contents were the highest in CG. Antioxidant activity and physicochemical properties were determined to examine the relationships between the FSPs and their antioxidant activities. We observed a negative correlation between isoflavone aglycon contents and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) activity. Furthermore, the order of ABTS activity of FSPs has a positive correlation with the order of soybean content in the six FSPs. Herein it was found that primary metabolites were affected by the main ingredients and secondary metabolites were most influenced by the fermentation time, and that soybean content contributed more to antioxidant activity than fermentation time.

An integrated metagenomic/metaproteomic investigation of microbiota in dajiang-meju, a traditional fermented soybean product in Northeast China.

Dajiang-meju have been used as major ingredients for the preparation of traditional spontaneously fermented soybean paste in Northeast China. In this work, we sequenced and analyzed the metagenome of 12 dajiang-meju samples. To complement the metagenome analysis, we analyzed the taxonomic and functional diversity of the microbiota by metaproteomics (LC-MS/MS). The analysis of metagenomic data revealed that the communities were primarily dominated by Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Citrobacter and Leclercia. Moreover, changes in the functional levels were monitored, and metaproteomic analysis revealed that most of the proteins were mainly expressed by members of Rhizopus, Penicillium and Geotrichum. The number of sequences allocated to fungi in the fermentation process decreased, whereas the number of sequences assigned to bacteria increased with time of fermentation. In addition, functional metagenomic profiling indicated that a series of sequences related to carbohydrates and amino acids metabolism were enriched. Additionally, enzymes associated with glycolysis metabolic pathways were presumed to contribute to the generation of flavor in dajiang-meju. Proteins from different dajiang-meju samples involved in global and overview maps, carbohydrate metabolism, nucleic acid metabolism and energy metabolism were differentially expressed. This information improves the understanding of microbial metabolic patterns with respect to the metaproteomes of dajiang-meju and provides a powerful tool for studying the fermentation process of soybean products.

In vitro ruminal fermentation and in situ ruminal degradation of tamarind kernel powder extract residue in wethers.

We examined the in vitro fermentation characteristics and in situ dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) degradability of tamarind kernel powder extract residue (TKPER), a by-product of polysaccharides thickener processing. Two types of TKPER (I and II), of which the CP and neutral detergent fiber organic matter basis contents (%) were 41.4 and 42.0 and 1.4 and 0.5, respectively, were compared with dry heat soybean (SB), soybean meal (SBM) and dry soybean curd residue (SBCR). The TKPERs had significantly lower in vitro gas production compared to the other products at each observation time (P < 0.05). The in vitro DM and CP digestibility (%) of TKPER I and II were 67.7 and 64.9, and 64.5 and 58.0, respectively, significantly lower than those of SB and SBM (P < 0.05). We used four wethers (55.6 ± 4.6 kg) with ruminal cannulas to investigate the in situ degradability of TKPER I, SB, SBM and SBCR. At the ruminal outflow rate of 0.05/h, the effective degradability (%) values of the DM and CP of TKPER I were 64.1 and 49.7, respectively, which were similar to those of SBM. In conclusion, TKPER had high CP and exhibited in situ degradability similar to that of SBM, suggesting that TKPER could be used as a protein source feed.

Incidence, Antibiotic Susceptibility, and Toxin Profiles of Bacillus cereus sensu lato Isolated from Korean Fermented Soybean Products.

Korean fermented soybean products, such as doenjang, kochujang, ssamjang, and cho-kochujang, can harbor foodborne pathogens such as Bacillus cereus sensu lato (B. cereus sensu lato). The aim of this study was to characterize the toxin gene profiles, biochemical characteristics, and antibiotic resistance patterns of B. cereus sensu lato strains isolated from Korean fermented soybean products. Eighty-eight samples of Korean fermented soybean products purchased from retails in Seoul were tested. Thirteen of 26 doenjang samples, 13 of 23 kochujang samples, 16 of 30 ssamjang samples, and 5 of 9 cho-kochujang samples were positive for B. cereus sensu lato strains. The contamination level of all positive samples did not exceed 4 log CFU/g of food (maximum levels of Korea Food Code). Eighty-seven B. cereus sensu lato strains were isolated from 47 positive samples, and all isolates carried at least one enterotoxin gene. The detection rates of hblCDA, nheABC, cytK, and entFM enterotoxin genes among all isolates were 34.5%, 98.9%, 57.5%, and 100%, respectively. Fifteen strains (17.2%) harbored the emetic toxin gene. Most strains tested positive for salicin fermentation (62.1%), starch hydrolysis (66.7%), hemolysis (98.9%), motility test (100%), and lecithinase production (96.6%). The B. cereus sensu lato strains were highly resistant to ß-lactam antibiotics such as ampicillin, penicillin, cefepime, imipenem, and oxacillin. Although B. cereus sensu lato levels in Korean fermented soybean products did not exceed the maximum levels permitted in South Korea (<10(4) CFU/g), these results indicate that the bacterial isolates have the potential to cause diarrheal or emetic gastrointestinal diseases.

Prevalence, genetic diversity, and antibiotic resistance of Bacillus cereus isolated from Korean fermented soybean products.

Bacillus cereus contamination is a major food safety problem for Korean fermented soybean products, but few studies have assessed its potential to cause foodborne illness. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of B. cereus isolated from Korean fermented soybean products. B. cereus was detected in 110 of 162 (67.9%) samples. The highest B. cereus frequency was observed in deonjang (68 of 93 samples, 73.1%) and cheonggukjang (18 of 25, 72.0%); however, nonhemolytic enterotoxin was detected only in 22 of 162 samples (13.6%). Although the tested B. cereus isolates showed diverse pulsotypes according to repetitive sequence-PCR banding patterns, they displayed similar antibiotic sensitivity spectra. The low frequency of enterotoxin detection suggests that the potential risk of B. cereus foodborne illness associated with Korean fermented soybean products is lower than generally presumed. However, considering the prevalence of B. cereus and the high content of fermented soybean products in the Korean diet, it is necessary to constantly monitor the level of contamination with B. cereus and its toxins in such Korean food products.

Immunostimulatory activity of isoflavone-glycosides and ethanol extract from a fermented soybean product in human primary immune cells.

Sasang constitutional medicine is a major branch of Korean traditional oriental medicine. Constitutions of Sasang medicine are classified into Taeyangin, Taeumin, Soyangin, and Soumin. We investigated immunostimulatory activities of fermented soybean product (FSP) extracts and their major bioactive compounds, isoflavone glycosides in primary immune cells isolated from the blood of Soyangin, Taeumin, and Soeumin volunteers. Results showed that the cell proliferation, nitrite, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α mRNA, interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA, TNF-α protein, and IL-6 protein production of immune cells treated with a 70% ethanol Doenjang extract (DJ), a 70% ethanol Kochujang extract (KCJ), and a 70% ethanol Cheonggukjang extract (CGJ), respectively, were significantly increased, and its immunostimulatory activities by both DJ and CGJ was higher than that of KCJ in primary immune cells isolated from the blood of Soyangin volunteers. However, the cell proliferation, nitrite, TNF-α mRNA, IL-6 mRNA, iNOS mRNA, COX-2 mRNA, TNF-α protein, and IL-6 protein production by both KCJ and CGJ was higher than that of DJ in primary immune cells isolated from the blood of Taeumin and Soeumin volunteers. The major bioactive compounds, isoflavone-glycosides, in FSP were daidzin, glycitin, and genistin. Daidzin, glycitin, and genistin were used to treat primary immune cells in the same condition, the cell proliferation; iNOS mRNA expression and nitrite concentration of daidzin, glycitin, or genistin-treated immune cells isolated from the blood of Soyangin volunteers was higher than that of Taeumin and Soeumin volunteers. The effect of DJ and isoflavone glycosides on immunostimulatory activities showed similar trends.