Generation of Group B Soyasaponins I and III by Hydrolysis

Soyasaponins are a group of oleanane triterpenoids found in soy and other legumes that have been associated with some of the benefits achieved by consuming plant-based diets. However, these groups of compounds are diverse and structurally complicated to chemically characterize, separate from the isoflavones, and isolate in sufficient quantities for bioactive testing. Therefore, the aim of this study was to maximize the extraction of soyasaponins from soy flour, remove isoflavones, separate group B soyasaponins from group A, and produce an extract that contained a majority of non-DDMP (2,3-dihydro-2,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one)-conjugated group B soyasaponins I and III. Room temperature extraction in methanol for 24 or 48 h resulted in the maximum recovery of soyasaponins, and Soxhlet extraction resulted in the least. A solid-phase extraction using methanol (45%) was found to virtually eliminate the interfering isoflavones as compared to butanol−water liquid−liquid extraction and ammonium sulfate p...