@article{RuferGlattKulling2006,
  author    = {Rufer, CE and Glatt, Hansruedi and Kulling, Sabine E.},
  title     = {Structural elucidation of hydroxylated metabolites of the isoflavan equol by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry},
  doi       = {10.1124/dmd.105.004929},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {Equol has, as have other isoflavonoids, recently gained considerable interest due to its possible health effects. However, detailed studies on the metabolism of equol are scarce. Therefore, we investigated the phase I metabolism of equol using liver microsomes from Aroclor-treated male Wistar rats as well as from a male human. The identification of the metabolites formed was elucidated using high performance liquid chromatography ( HPLC) with diode array detection, HPLC/atmospheric pressure ionization electrospray mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, as well as reference compounds. ( +/-)-Equol was converted to 11 metabolites by the liver microsomes from Aroclorpretreated rats comprising three aromatic monohydroxylated and four aliphatic monohydroxylated as well as four dihydroxylated products. The main metabolite was identified as 3'-hydroxy-equol. Using human liver microsomes, equol was converted to six metabolites with 3'-hydroxy- and 6-hydroxy-equol as main products. Furthermore, the aliphatic hydroxylated metabolite 4-hydroxyequol, which was recently detected in human urine after soy consumption, was formed. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that phase I metabolism of equol is part of a complex biotransformation of the soy isoflavone daidzein in humans in vivo},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{RuferKulling2006,
  author    = {Rufer, CE and Kulling, Sabine E.},
  title     = {Antioxidant activity of isoflavones and their major metabolites using different in vitro assays},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {Isoflavone phytoestrogens found mainly in soybeans and clover are widely studied phytochemicals. Genistein and daidzein, the major isoflavones found in soy, have received the most attention. However, they undergo extensive metabolism in the intestine and the liver, which might affect their biological properties, e.g. their antioxidant capacities. Furthermore, the biological activities of other naturally occurring isoflavones, for instance, glycitein from soy or biochanin A from red clover, have not yet been studied in detail. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activities of six naturally occurring isoflavones and their corresponding oxidative and bacterial metabolites. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay as well as the in vitro oxidation of low density lipoproteins with the conjugated diene and the thiobarbituric acid reacting substances formation as end points were used. The oxidative metabolites of genistein and daidzein as well as equol exhibited the highest antioxidant activities in all three assays. With few exceptions, they were more effective than the positive controls quercetin and ascorbic acid. Formononetin, the 4'-O-methyl ether of daidzein, showed the lowest antioxidant property. Because the antioxidant efficacy of isoflavones as effective antioxidants is evident at concentrations well within the range found in the plasma of subjects consuming soy products, this biological activity could be of physiological relevance},
  language  = {en}
}