Non-digestive stachyose enhances bioavailability of isoflavones for improving hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia in mice fed with high fat diet

This study examined the efficacy of non-digestive stachyose on enhancing the absorption of soy isoflavones to improve metabolic syndrome in C57/BL6 mice. UPLC-q/TOF-MS was employed to analyze the content of isoflavones in urine and faeces. Stachyose significantly increased urinary contents of total isoflavones, genistein, daidzein and glycitein in mice. Supplementation of stachyose, soybean isoflavones or a combination prevented high fat diet (HFD)-induced body weight gain, accumulated adipose, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia in obese mice. Interestingly, co-supplementation of stachyose and isoflavones improved all the mentioned parameters more effectively than administration of stachyose or isoflavones alone. Histological observation of hepatic tissues also confirmed the beneficial effects of co-supplementation of stachyose and isoflavones. These findings suggest that co-ingestion of non-digestible oligosaccharides and polyphenols as normal diet is a promising potential strategy for managing or reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, which will lead to new knowledge on whole soybean and have extensive application in development of healthy food.