Send Orders for Reprints to reprints@benthamscience.net 230 Current Nutraceuticals, 2021, 2, 230-238 2665-9786/21 $65.00+.00 © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers RESEARCH ARTICLE The Antiproliferative Effect of Soy (Glycine max) Isoflavones Contained in a Nutraceutical on Cancer Cell Lines Maura Cárdenas-García 1,* , Diana Jiménez-Hernández 1 , María Guadalupe Hernández-Linares 2 , Marcela Lucía Guerrero-Africani 1 and Lilia Karina Cabrera-Cosme 1,3 1 Lab. Fisiología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, BUAP, Puebla, México, 2 Lab. del Jardín Botánico, Instituto de Cien- cias BUAP, Puebla, México, 3 Queen´s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom. ARTICLE HISTORY Received: August 01, 2020 Revised: March 03, 2021 Accepted: March 17, 2021 DOI: 10.2174/2665978602666210505103150 Abstract: Background: Cancer is a homogenous group of diseases characterized by the dysregula- tion of normal cell physiological processes, such as proliferation, growth, and migration. In Mexi- co, cancer accounts for one of the main causes of death. Among the most common types of cancer which affect the Mexican population are breast, cervical, and colon cancers. Objective: In the current research, we studied the effects of phenolic compounds of soy ( Glycine max), isoflavones, available as a nutraceutical commercial product, on the proliferation of several cancer cell lines. Methods: Firstly, we carried out a series of experiments of simulated chemical digestion to later de- termine the integrity and functionality of active compounds present in commercial capsule prod- ucts after their chemical digestion. Later on, we performed thin-layer chromatography, ultravio- let/visible spectrophotometry, and analysis of the antioxidant activity of the phenolic compounds. We also assessed the effects on the proliferation of several cancer cell lines. Results: By using such techniques, we demonstrated that soy isoflavones maintained their integrity and activity, even after being chemically digested. Moreover, our results showed several cases in which soy isoflavones did exert a noticeable effect on cell proliferation. Though the IC 50 doses were different for each cell line, cell proliferation was, in fact, lower in all of them. Conclusion: Our research provides strong evidence of the compelling antiproliferative effect of soy isoflavones in the commercial product, even after simulated digestion, in distinct types of can- cer. Hence, this represents a breakthrough to continue investigating phenolic compounds as poten- tial coadjutants for anti-neoplastic treatments. Keywords: Nutraceutical soy isoflavones, simulated digestion, microwave-assisted extraction, breast, colon, cervix hepatic adenocarcinoma, cancer cell lines. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Soy Glycine max , commonly known as soy, belongs to the class Magnoliopsida, from the Fabaceae family (commonly known as legumes) and Leguminosae subfamily [1]. Soy is a quite important element of the traditional Asian diet since it is used in a great variety of dishes [ 2]. The daily intake of soy in the Asian adult population is from 30 to 50 mg in Chi- na and Korea and 76 mg in Japan [3]. In Mexico, soy is em- ployed in the elaboration of products such as milk, yogurt, * Address correspondence to this author at the Lab. Fisiología Celular, Fac- ultad de Medicina, Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Calle 13 Sur 2702, Los Volcanes, 72420, Mexico; Tel: +2222600689; E-mail: maura.cardenasgarcia@viep.com.mx juice, sauces, oil, or it can be naturally consumed as eda- mame, but its consumption is very low. Nevertheless, there are available commercial capsules that have a high content of soy isoflavones and represent a suitable choice for the di- rect intake of soy isoflavones. 1.2. Phenolic Compounds The term “polyphenols” has been used to refer to a wide group of chemical compounds, which are abundant in the hu- man diet. Polyphenols are phytochemicals, providing colour to some fruits and astringency to certain kinds of rooted veg- etables, and are related to the plant immune system [ 4]. In nutrition, they are considered bioactive substances due to their antioxidant activity during oxidative stress. Moreover, they exert anti-inflammatory [5] and anticarcinogen [6] ac- tions and prevent mutations in response to DNA damage [7]. The most common types of phenolic compounds are pheno-