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39 Results Found

  • Article
  • Open Access
28 Citations
5,160 Views
14 Pages

18 October 2019

S-equol is a major bacterial metabolite of the soy isoflavone daidzein. It is known to be a phytoestrogen that acts by binding to the nuclear estrogen receptors (ERs) that are expressed in various brain regions, including the cerebellum. However, the...

  • Review
  • Open Access
50 Citations
11,692 Views
19 Pages

Potential Protective Mechanisms of S-equol, a Metabolite of Soy Isoflavone by the Gut Microbiome, on Cognitive Decline and Dementia

  • Akira Sekikawa,
  • Whitney Wharton,
  • Brittany Butts,
  • Cole V. Veliky,
  • Joshua Garfein,
  • Jiatong Li,
  • Shatabdi Goon,
  • Annamaria Fort,
  • Mengyi Li and
  • Timothy M. Hughes

7 October 2022

S-equol, a metabolite of soy isoflavone daidzein transformed by the gut microbiome, is the most biologically potent among all soy isoflavones and their metabolites. Soy isoflavones are phytoestrogens and exert their actions through estrogen receptor-...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,033 Views
14 Pages

Maresin-1 and S-Equol as Emerging Metabolic Biomarkers in Gestational Diabetes-Associated Inflammation

  • Seyda Yavuzkir,
  • Derya Kardas Cinar,
  • Ahmet Cinar,
  • Furkan Bildirici and
  • Suleyman Aydin

25 September 2025

Background/Objectives: The most prevalent metabolic condition during pregnancy is gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), typically diagnosed in the second or third trimester and absent prior to gestation, with a reported prevalence ranging between 1% a...

  • Article
  • Open Access
11 Citations
4,277 Views
14 Pages

S-Equol Ameliorates Menopausal Osteoarthritis in Rats through Reducing Oxidative Stress and Cartilage Degradation

  • Yu-Chen Hu,
  • Tzu-Ching Huang,
  • Li-Wen Huang,
  • Hsiao-Ling Cheng,
  • Bau-Shan Hsieh and
  • Kee-Lung Chang

21 July 2024

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disease leading to articular cartilage destruction. Menopausal and postmenopausal women are susceptible to both OA and osteoporosis. S-equol, a soy isoflavone-derived molecule, is known to reduce osteopor...

  • Article
  • Open Access
20 Citations
3,931 Views
15 Pages

S-Equol Protects Chondrocytes against Sodium Nitroprusside-Caused Matrix Loss and Apoptosis through Activating PI3K/Akt Pathway

  • Li-Wen Huang,
  • Tzu-Ching Huang,
  • Yu-Chen Hu,
  • Bau-Shan Hsieh,
  • Hsiao-Ling Cheng,
  • Pu-Rong Chiu and
  • Kee-Lung Chang

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic disease with increasing prevalence in societies with more aging populations, therefore, it is causing more concern. S-Equol, a kind of isoflavones, was reported to be bioavailable and beneficial to humans in ma...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
5,309 Views
15 Pages

A Short S-Equol Exposure Has a Long-Term Inhibitory Effect on Adipogenesis in Mouse 3T3-L1 Cells

  • Gilberto Mandujano-Lázaro,
  • Carlos Galaviz-Hernández,
  • César A. Reyes-López,
  • Julio C. Almanza-Pérez,
  • Abraham Giacoman-Martínez,
  • César López-Camarillo,
  • Fengyang Huang and
  • Laurence A. Marchat

16 October 2021

In the search for new drugs against obesity, the chronic disease that threatens human health worldwide, several works have focused on the study of estrogen homologs because of the role of estrogen receptors (ERs) in adipocyte growth. The isoflavone e...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1,252 Views
16 Pages

S-Equol as a Gut-Derived Phytoestrogen Targeting Estrogen Receptor β: A Promising Bioactive Nutrient for Bone Health in Aging Women and Men: A Narrative Review

  • Akira Sekikawa,
  • Ashley Weaver,
  • Kelly Mroz,
  • Nina Z. Heilmann,
  • Diana A. Madrid Fuentes,
  • Kristen J. Koltun,
  • Lauren J. Carlson,
  • Kristin L. Cattell,
  • Mengyi Li and
  • Jane A. Cauley
  • + 4 authors

18 December 2025

Background/Objectives: Osteoporosis is highly prevalent and contributes substantially to morbidity and mortality, yet long-term concerns about pharmacologic therapies leave a major treatment gap. Soy isoflavones have been investigated as safer altern...

  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
3,484 Views
16 Pages

20 February 2024

The active metabolite (S)-equol, derived from daidzein by gut microbiota, exhibits superior antioxidative activity compared with its precursor and plays a vital role in human health. As only 25% to 50% of individuals can naturally produce equol when...

  • Review
  • Open Access
46 Citations
9,056 Views
21 Pages

Phytochemicals are botanical compounds used in dermatology applications as cosmeceuticals to improve skin health. Resveratrol and equol are two of the best-known polyphenolic or phytoestrogens having similar chemical structures and some overlapping b...

  • Article
  • Open Access
28 Citations
4,918 Views
12 Pages

3 October 2019

β-amyloid formation in the brain is one of the characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease. Exposure to this peptide may result in reentry into the cell cycle leading to cell death. The phytoestrogen equol has similar biological effects as estr...

  • Article
  • Open Access
376 Views
13 Pages

A Whole-Cell Catalytic System for Equol Production Based on Daidzein Reductase Engineering

  • Bing-Juan Li,
  • Jiao-Jiao Zhuo,
  • Meng-Ran Tian,
  • Dan Meng and
  • Hong-Yan Li

18 February 2026

As an isoflavone metabolite with diverse physiological activities, the development of efficient and sustainable manufacturing technologies for (S)-equol holds significant importance. This study focuses on the semi-rational design of daidzein reductas...

  • Communication
  • Open Access
19 Citations
12,552 Views
15 Pages

Comparative Effects of R- and S-equol and Implication of Transactivation Functions (AF-1 and AF-2) in Estrogen Receptor-Induced Transcriptional Activity

  • Svitlana Shinkaruk,
  • Charlotte Carreau,
  • Gilles Flouriot,
  • Catherine Bennetau-Pelissero and
  • Mylène Potier

15 March 2010

Equol, one of the main metabolites of daidzein, is a chiral compound with pleiotropic effects on cellular signaling. This property may induce activation/inhibition of the estrogen receptors (ER) a or b, and therefore, explain the beneficial/deleterio...

  • Article
  • Open Access
129 Views
16 Pages

Can the Posterior Segment Findings of the Eye and Serum Microbiota Metabolites Be a Biomarker in Schizophrenia?

  • Sinem Keser,
  • Sevler Yıldız,
  • Süleyman Aydın,
  • Jülide Keleş,
  • Aziz Aksoy and
  • Elif Emre

12 March 2026

Background and Objectives: In many neurodegenerative diseases, the pathological changes occurring in the central nervous system may be reflected in the periphery. The aim of this study was to examine the possible relationship between the retina, chor...

  • Article
  • Open Access
913 Views
22 Pages

Exercise and Carnosine Modulate Microbiota-Derived Metabolites, Myokines, and Cardiometabolic Profiles in Rats: A Randomized Controlled Trial

  • Kenan Bozbay,
  • Vedat Çınar,
  • Taner Akbulut,
  • Yavuz Yasul,
  • Mehmet Hanifi Yalçın,
  • Meva Ceren Orgun,
  • Süleyman Aydın and
  • Do-Youn Lee

22 November 2025

Background/Objectives: Carnosine and exercise independently improve metabolic health, yet their combined effects on myokines and microbiota-derived metabolites remain underexplored. This study evaluated the synergistic impact of carnosine supplementa...

  • Article
  • Open Access
10 Citations
3,215 Views
19 Pages

Isoflavones Mediate Dendritogenesis Mainly through Estrogen Receptor α

  • Winda Ariyani,
  • Izuki Amano and
  • Noriyuki Koibuchi

The nuclear estrogen receptor (ER) and G-protein-coupled ER (GPER1) play a crucial role during brain development and are involved in dendrite and spine growth as well as synapse formation. Soybean isoflavones, such as genistein, daidzein, and S-equol...

  • Review
  • Open Access
33 Citations
11,820 Views
17 Pages

27 January 2022

Soy isoflavones have been suggested as an alternative treatment for managing postmenopausal symptoms and promoting long-term health due to their structural similarity to mammalian estrogen and ability to bind to estrogen receptors. Among all soy isof...

  • Article
  • Open Access
732 Views
16 Pages

Urinary Equol Production Capacity, Dietary Habits, and Premenstrual Symptom Severity in Healthy Young Japanese Women

  • Nanae Kada-Kondo,
  • Natsuka Kimura,
  • Kurea Isobe,
  • Akari Kaida,
  • Saki Ota,
  • Akari Fujita,
  • Yuu Haraki,
  • Ryozo Nagai and
  • Kenichi Aizawa

8 January 2026

Background/Objectives: Equol, a gut microbial metabolite of the soy isoflavone, daidzein, is associated with estrogenic activity and potential benefits for women’s health. While equol production depends on individual gut microbial composition,...

  • Review
  • Open Access
43 Citations
10,545 Views
48 Pages

Dietary Phytoestrogens and Their Metabolites as Epigenetic Modulators with Impact on Human Health

  • Victor Stefan Ionescu,
  • Alexandra Popa,
  • Andrei Alexandru,
  • Emilia Manole,
  • Mihaela Neagu and
  • Sevinci Pop

26 November 2021

The impact of dietary phytoestrogens on human health has been a topic of continuous debate since their discovery. Nowadays, based on their presumptive beneficial effects, the amount of phytoestrogens consumed in the daily diet has increased considera...

  • Brief Report
  • Open Access
3 Citations
2,855 Views
10 Pages

21 September 2023

Dietary isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogens, have gained importance owing to their health-promoting benefits. However, the beneficial effects of isoflavones are mediated by smaller metabolites produced with the help of gut bacteria that are known t...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
9,464 Views
14 Pages

Health Effects of Drinking Water Produced from Deep Sea Water: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial

  • Hiroaki Takeuchi,
  • Yu Yoshikane,
  • Hirotsugu Takenaka,
  • Asako Kimura,
  • Jahirul Md. Islam,
  • Reimi Matsuda,
  • Aoi Okamoto,
  • Yusuke Hashimoto,
  • Rie Yano and
  • Satoshi Ishizuka
  • + 2 authors

28 January 2022

Global trends focus on a balanced intake of foods and beverages to maintain health. Drinking water (MIU; hardness = 88) produced from deep sea water (DSW) collected offshore of Muroto, Japan, is considered healthy. We previously reported that the DSW...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1,514 Views
13 Pages

In Vivo and In Vitro Mechanisms of Equol Synthesis and Key Influencing Factors: A Critical Review

  • Tianmeng Zhang,
  • Botao Wang,
  • Chen Wang,
  • Junying Bai,
  • Jingwen Zhou and
  • Jian Chen

31 October 2025

Background: Equol exists in two enantiomers of S-equol and R-equol. The results of cell and animal experiments, as well as clinical trials, have supported its protective effects on menopausal symptoms, aging, and cardiovascular diseases, especially S...

  • Review
  • Open Access
34 Citations
8,259 Views
20 Pages

19 February 2021

Equol is a soy isoflavone metabolite that can be produced by intestinal bacteria. It is lipophilic and resembles natural oestrogens with an affinity to oestrogen receptors. This review is focused on how equol affects breast cancer, as evidenced by in...

  • Review
  • Open Access
40 Citations
18,879 Views
17 Pages

29 January 2018

Environmental pollutants represent a major problem worldwide that cannot be passively avoided. It is known that skin sensitivities can result from environmental assaults, such as toxins and pollutants in air and water. Additionally, dermal assaults f...

  • Review
  • Open Access
273 Citations
33,252 Views
54 Pages

Soybeans are rich in proteins and lipids and have become a staple part of the human diet. Besides their nutritional excellence, they have also been shown to contain various functional components, including isoflavones, and have consequently received...

  • Review
  • Open Access
153 Citations
41,746 Views
15 Pages

4 November 2019

Isoflavones have gained popularity as an alternative treatment for menopausal symptoms for people who cannot or are unwilling to take hormone replacement therapy. However, there is still no consensus on the effects of isoflavones despite over two dec...

  • Article
  • Open Access
93 Citations
10,615 Views
12 Pages

Daidzein Intake Is Associated with Equol Producing Status through an Increase in the Intestinal Bacteria Responsible for Equol Production

  • Chikara Iino,
  • Tadashi Shimoyama,
  • Kaori Iino,
  • Yoshihito Yokoyama,
  • Daisuke Chinda,
  • Hirotake Sakuraba,
  • Shinsaku Fukuda and
  • Shigeyuki Nakaji

19 February 2019

Equol is a metabolite of isoflavone daidzein and has an affinity to estrogen receptors. Although equol is produced by intestinal bacteria, the association between the status of equol production and the gut microbiota has not been fully investigated....

  • Article
  • Open Access
2 Citations
3,951 Views
13 Pages

High Pretreatment DHEA Is Associated with Inferior Immunotherapy Response in Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

  • Yumeng Zhang,
  • Lancia Darville,
  • Stephanie Hogue,
  • Julie E. Hallanger Johnson,
  • Trevor Rose,
  • Youngchul Kim,
  • Alexis Bailey,
  • Jhanelle E. Gray and
  • Lary A. Robinson

14 March 2024

Background: Sex difference in the immune response may influence patients’ response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We conducted a prospective observation study to determine the correlation between pretreatment sex hormone levels and res...

  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
3,698 Views
13 Pages

Effect of Fermented Soy Beverage on Equol Production by Fecal Microbiota

  • Ana Ruiz de la Bastida,
  • Susana Langa,
  • José Antonio Curiel,
  • Ángela Peirotén and
  • José María Landete

29 August 2024

Soy consumption is associated with health benefits, mainly linked to the ability of the intestinal microbiota to metabolize the glycosylated isoflavones into more bioactive compounds, such as equol. Because Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum INIA P815...

  • Article
  • Open Access
32 Citations
5,926 Views
12 Pages

Transcriptional Regulation of the Equol Biosynthesis Gene Cluster in Adlercreutzia equolifaciens DSM19450T

  • Ana Belén Flórez,
  • Lucía Vázquez,
  • Javier Rodríguez,
  • Begoña Redruello and
  • Baltasar Mayo

30 April 2019

Given the emerging evidence of equol’s benefit to human health, understanding its synthesis and regulation in equol-producing bacteria is of paramount importance. Adlercreutzia equolifaciens DSM19450T is a human intestinal bacterium—for w...

  • Article
  • Open Access
11 Citations
5,808 Views
17 Pages

Soy and Frequent Dairy Consumption with Subsequent Equol Production Reveals Decreased Gut Health in a Cohort of Healthy Puerto Rican Women

  • Mercedes Y. Lacourt-Ventura,
  • Brayan Vilanova-Cuevas,
  • Delmarie Rivera-Rodríguez,
  • Raysa Rosario-Acevedo,
  • Christine Miranda,
  • Gerónimo Maldonado-Martínez,
  • Johanna Maysonet,
  • Darlene Vargas,
  • Yelitza Ruiz and
  • Michelle M. Martínez-Montemayor
  • + 6 authors

The U.S. Hispanic female population has one of the highest breast cancer (BC) incidence and mortality rates, while BC is the leading cause of cancer death in Puerto Rican women. Certain foods may predispose to carcinogenesis. Our previous studies ind...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
3,680 Views
17 Pages

6 April 2024

The implications of soy consumption on human health have been a subject of debate, largely due to the mixed evidence regarding its benefits and potential risks. The variability in responses to soy has been partly attributed to differences in the meta...

  • Review
  • Open Access
117 Citations
24,058 Views
23 Pages

Based on their nutrient composition, soybeans and related foods have been considered to be nutritious and healthy for humans. Particularly, the biological activity and subsequent benefits of soy products may be associated with the presence of isoflav...

  • Article
  • Open Access
19 Citations
3,793 Views
11 Pages

Impact of Dietary Isoflavone Supplementation on the Fecal Microbiota and Its Metabolites in Postmenopausal Women

  • Lucía Guadamuro,
  • M. Andrea Azcárate-Peril,
  • Rafael Tojo,
  • Baltasar Mayo and
  • Susana Delgado

Isoflavones are metabolized by components of the gut microbiota and can also modulate their composition and/or activity. This study aimed to analyze the modifications of the fecal microbial populations and their metabolites in menopausal women under...

  • Review
  • Open Access
42 Citations
16,896 Views
26 Pages

18 October 2021

The overarching theme for this review is perspective. Superfoods (a marketing term for fruits and vegetables, etc.) have a positive connotation, while many superfoods contain phytoestrogens, a term that is alarming to the public and has a negative co...

  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
6,418 Views
13 Pages

The Prevalence of Dietary Supplements That Claim Estrogen-like Effects in Japanese Women

  • Tsuyoshi Chiba,
  • Yuko Tousen,
  • Chiharu Nishijima and
  • Keizo Umegaki

26 October 2022

Recently, adverse events, such as irregular vaginal bleeding and menstrual disorders, associated with the use of dietary supplements containing Pueraria mirifica, have been reported in Japan. P. mirifica contains phytoestrogens, such as deoxymiroestr...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
2,944 Views
16 Pages

Using Targeted Metabolomics to Unravel Phenolic Metabolites of Plant Origin in Animal Milk

  • Vicente Agulló,
  • Claudia Favari,
  • Niccolò Pilla,
  • Letizia Bresciani,
  • Francisco A. Tomás-Barberán,
  • Alan Crozier,
  • Daniele Del Rio and
  • Pedro Mena

Milk holds a high nutritional value and is associated with diverse health benefits. The understanding of its composition of (poly)phenolic metabolites is limited, which necessitates a comprehensive evaluation of the subject. This study aimed at analy...

  • Hypothesis
  • Open Access
32 Citations
8,032 Views
14 Pages

Elucidation of Prebiotics, Probiotics, Postbiotics, and Target from Gut Microbiota to Alleviate Obesity via Network Pharmacology Study

  • Ki-Kwang Oh,
  • Haripriya Gupta,
  • Byeong-Hyun Min,
  • Raja Ganesan,
  • Satya Priya Sharma,
  • Sung-Min Won,
  • Jin-Ju Jeong,
  • Su-Been Lee,
  • Min-Gi Cha and
  • Ki-Tae Suk
  • + 8 authors

16 September 2022

The metabolites produced by the gut microbiota have been reported as crucial agents against obesity; however, their key targets have not been revealed completely in complex microbiome systems. Hence, the aim of this study was to decipher promising pr...

  • Article
  • Open Access
66 Citations
10,694 Views
18 Pages

Probiotic Soy Product Supplemented with Isoflavones Improves the Lipid Profile of Moderately Hypercholesterolemic Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial

  • Daniela Cardoso Umbelino Cavallini,
  • Marla Simone Jovenasso Manzoni,
  • Raquel Bedani,
  • Mariana Nougalli Roselino,
  • Larissa Sbaglia Celiberto,
  • Regina Célia Vendramini,
  • Graciela Font De Valdez,
  • Dulcinéia Saes Parra Abdalla,
  • Roseli Aparecida Pinto and
  • Elizeu Antonio Rossi
  • + 2 authors

19 January 2016

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality. Several studies have demonstrated that specific probiotics affect the host’s metabolism and may influence the cardiovascular disease risk. Objectives: The a...