Thermal stability of genistein and daidzein and its effect on their antioxidant activity.

Soy isoflavones, present in many processed soy foods, are known for their phytoestrogenic and antioxidant activities. The aim of this work was to study the kinetics of genistein and daidzein degradation at elevated temperatures and to follow changes in their antioxidant activity. Daidzein and genistein in model solutions (pH 7 and 9) were thermally treated at 120 degrees C or incubated at 70, 80, and 90 degrees C. Isoflavone degradation was observed at all temperatures, with apparent first-order kinetics at 70-90 degrees C, and E(a) = 8.4 and 11.6 kcal/mol at pH 9, respectively. Microcalorimetric stability tests showed a similar pattern of degradation, however, with higher E(a) (genistein, 73.7 kcal/mol; daidzein, 34.1 kcal/mol) that may be attributed to the anaerobic conditions. The antioxidant activity of incubated isoflavone solutions, followed by the ABTS test, decreased rapidly at pH 9 for genistein, whereas only moderate reduction was observed for daidzein (pH 7 and 9) or genistein at pH 7. This may indicate different degradation mechanisms for genistein and daidzein.