Location: Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research
Project Number: 6054-41000-112-003-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2021
End Date: May 31, 2026
Objective:
Cooperator will determine health benefits of activated foods from soybean, sugarcane, and rice using cell based methods. Determine beneficial activities using the effects of activated foods and isolated compounds from rice, soybean, and sugarcane in vitro and in vivo.
Approach:
In vitro cell assays will screen plant extracts and isolated compounds for beneficial health effects. Methods will determine if activated foods can target gene pathways that would lead to improved health. Selected plant extracts and activated foods will be used in in vivo animal models to determine effectiveness in animal systems.
Determine appropriate tests and model systems to test these plant phytoalexins for applications in animal model systems. Conduct research on these plant phytoalexins as described below:
Soybean seeds and pods will be treated with either a yeast extract, Aspergillus sojae inoculum, or Ultraviolet-B irradiation for induction of the glyceollins. The seeds will then be stored for 48-72 hours, dried (optional step to be determined at the time), and defatted (Pilot Plant). Development of new methods for induction of glyceollins will focus on the use of high powered Ultraviolet-B irradiation. The addition of yeast or Aspergillus sojae inoculum could alter flavor of a processed soy food and Ultraviolet-B treatments have the potential for eliminating could eliminate this problem. Soybean seeds (cut, chopped and sliced) treated with Ultraviolet-B irradiation will be compared with yeast and Aspergillus sojae treated seeds for glyceollin content, and optimal protocols will be developed to purify maximal amounts of glyceollin.
Lab procedures indicate that Aspergillus sojae induces the largest amount of glyceollin when compared to other methods. Initial scale up of soybean seeds will be treated with Aspergillus sojae and used for the isolation of 10 g of glyceollin mixture. Development of new procedures will be conducted using commercially available Preparative High Pressure Liquid Chromatography.
In vitro cell assays will be used to investigate the effects of the glyceollins on enhancing glucose uptake in adipocyte cells and stimulating GLP-1 production in human colon cells. The glyceollins will be incorporated into medicinal food products and evaluated as a potential therapeutic treatment for diabetes.
