Abstract
Abstract Isoflavones, an important class of flavonoids, act as phytoestrogens due to structural similarity with 17β-estradiol hormone. They are proposed to produce several biological activities related to health benefits, like improvement to menopausal symptoms and protection against several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, osteoporosis, and breast and prostate cancer. However, current researches have shown that the clinical efficacy of these phenolic compounds is related to their bioconversion in flavonoid aglycones and, further, in an important bioactive metabolite called equol, which has higher biological effects than other isoflavones. Only about 30%–50% of humans possess a microbiota capable of producing equol from dietary daidzein, which instigates the use of microbial and enzymatic systems for the bioconversion in vitro. In recent years, interest has grown in applications to improve equol production. This chapter revises and discusses the relevance of the bioconversion of isoflavones and their production, bioavailability, and clinical implications.
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