Characterization of anti-obesity compounds from soybean paste.

Obesity is the fifth leading cause of death globally. At least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of being overweight. Therefore, the development of an efficient lipid inhibitor for the biological effects of obesity is highly needed. The discovery of bioactive compounds from food is one possible way to control obesity and to prevent or reduce the risks of various obesity-related diseases. In this study, we found that 7,3′,4′-trihydroxyisoflavone from Korean soybean paste has remarkable anti-obesity activity in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with 7,3′,4′-trihydroxyisoflavone significantly reduced the adipose tissue weight to 1.6/100 g of body weight in high-fat mice. In addition, in 7,3′,4′-trihydroxyisoflavone-treated mice, a significant reduction in the serum triglyceride and T-cholesterol was observed at 29 and 37 %, respectively. These results support the hypothesis that 7,3′,4′-trihydroxyisoflavone is expected to create a therapeutic interest in its use for the treatment of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]