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Soybean

Soybean (Glycine max. L. Merr.) or soy grows only under cultivation. It is an annual herbaceous plant indigenous to eastern Asia and has been grown since prehistoric ages. It is currently one of the most important cultivation in the world. Various food products are obtained from the plant’s seeds, including flour, soy milk and soy sauce. Oil extracted from seed contains glycerides consisting of unsaturated fatty acids like linoleic, oleic, and linolenic acid. Kinds of vitamin E tocopherols can also been found in soybean oil extract. Soybean is the major source of isoflavones, including daidzein and genistein, which may lead to the low incidence of hormone related cancers. Isoflavones have various pharmacological activities, such as inhibitory activities on protein tyrosine kinase, aromatase, and endothelial migration, in addition to the estrogenic activity.