Lv Jing, Jin Shengkai, Zhang Yuwei, Zhou Yuhua, Li Menglu, Feng Ninghan
Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
Nantong University Medical School, Nantong, China.
Gut Pathog. 2024 Jul 7;16(1):35. doi: 10.1186/s13099-024-00625-9.
An increasing number of studies have shown that the consumption of soybeans and soybeans products is beneficial to human health, and the biological activity of soy products may be attributed to the presence of Soy Isoflavones (SI) in soybeans. In the intestinal tracts of humans and animals, certain specific bacteria can metabolize soy isoflavones into equol. Equol has a similar chemical structure to endogenous estradiol in the human body, which can bind with estrogen receptors and exert weak estrogen effects. Therefore, equol plays an important role in the occurrence and development of a variety of hormone-dependent malignancies such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. Despite the numerous health benefits of equol for humans, only 30-50% of the population can metabolize soy isoflavones into equol, with individual variation in gut microbiota being the main reason. This article provides an overview of the relevant gut microbiota involved in the synthesis of equol and its anti-tumor effects in various types of cancer. It also summarizes the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-tumor properties, aiming to provide a more reliable theoretical basis for the rational utilization of equol in the field of cancer treatment.
越来越多的研究表明，食用大豆及大豆制品对人体健康有益，大豆制品的生物活性可能归因于大豆中存在大豆异黄酮（SI）。在人和动物的肠道中，某些特定细菌可将大豆异黄酮代谢为雌马酚。雌马酚的化学结构与人体内源性雌二醇相似，能与雌激素受体结合并发挥微弱的雌激素作用。因此，雌马酚在乳腺癌和前列腺癌等多种激素依赖性恶性肿瘤的发生和发展中起重要作用。尽管雌马酚对人类有诸多健康益处，但只有30% - 50%的人群能够将大豆异黄酮代谢为雌马酚，肠道微生物群的个体差异是主要原因。本文综述了参与雌马酚合成的相关肠道微生物群及其在各类癌症中的抗肿瘤作用。还总结了其抗肿瘤特性的分子机制，旨在为雌马酚在癌症治疗领域的合理应用提供更可靠的理论依据。
