Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant polyphenolic compounds present in high concentrations in soybean products. Phytoestrogens are divided into three classes: lignans, isoflavones, and coumestans. Nine types of glycoside isoflavones and three types of aglycoside isoflavones are reported in soybean. Soy isoflavones can reduce the risk of a certain type of cancer, cardiovascular problems, osteoporosis, and menopausal symptoms. We irradiated the leaves of five cultivars of soybean with UV-C (260 nm) and determined the effect on concentrations of isoflavone compounds using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Isoflavone concentrations were significantly higher following irradiation, particularly in the cultivar Daepung, which was selected as the best cultivar for high isoflavone induction with UV-C irradiation. Further experimentation with the cultivar Daepung revealed that 20 min UV-C irradiation was the best treatment for the induction of aglycone compounds, and 5 min with the dorsal surface facing the UV-C irradiation source was the best treatment for the induction of glycoside isoflavone compounds.
Keywords: Glycine max; UV-C; induction; irradiation; isoflavone; phytoestrogen.