In continuation of my update on Soy...
Hari B. Krishnan and colleagues explain that the substance, Bowman-Birk Protease Inhibitor (BBI) 9see the below structure), has shown promise for preventing
certain forms of cancer in clinical trials. Those human tests resulted
from evidence of BBI's beneficial effects, including indications that
BBI derived from the large amounts of soybeans in traditional Japanese
diets might underpin low cancer mortality rates in Japan. However, the
current method of extracting BBI from soybeans is time-consuming and
involves harsh chemicals. The scientists set out to see if there might
be a greener and more environmentally friendly way of obtaining BBI.
They found that soybean seeds incubated in water at 122 degrees
Fahrenheit naturally release large amounts of BBI that can easily be
harvested from the water. The protein appeared to be active, with tests
showing that it stopped breast cancer cells from dividing in a
laboratory dish.
"The abundance of BBI in soybean seed exudates by
incubating the seeds in warm water provides a simple and alternative
method to isolate this low molecular weight protein," the researchers
said.