To investigate the relationships among fecal isoflavone metabolism, dietary habit and Body Mass Index (BMI), 15 healthy men and 15 healthy women were recruited and provided stool samples for analysis of ex vivo anaerobic incubation of fecal suspension with daidzein. A negative correlation was observed between BMI and the dihydrodaidzein (DHD) production in men, and between BMI and the equol production in women. There was a positive correlation between intake of soluble dietary fiber and the DHD production in men. The results suggest that dietary habits and BMI are related to the metabolic activity of isoflavonoids by fecal intestinal microbiota.
Keywords: daidzein; dihydrodaidzein; equol; microbiota.