title: S-(-)equol production is developmentally regulated and related to early diet composition.
abstract: S-(-)7-hydroxy-3-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-chroman, or S-(-)equol, a biologically active intestinally derived bacterial metabolite of the soy isoflavones daidzin/daidzein, is not produced in neonatal life. Because its synthesis is dependent on equol-producing bacteria, we hypothesized that early nutrition may influence equol production. This prospective 2.5-year study determined the frequency of S-(-)equol production in healthy infants (n = 90) fed breast milk, soy infant formula, or cow's milk formula in their first year. Urinary S-(-)equol and daidzein were quantified by mass spectrometry after a standardized 3.5-day soy isoflavone challenge. Infants were tested at 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months of age, and 3-day diet records were obtained at each visit to explore the effect of early and postweaning (>12 months) macronutrient and micronutrient dietary composition and S-(-)equol production. Use of antibiotics was also recorded. At age 6 months, none of the breast-fed infants produced S-(-)equol, whereas 3.8% and 6.0%, respectively, of soy and cow's milk formula-fed infants were equol producers. By age 3 years, 50% of the formula-fed infants were equol producers, compared with 25% of breast-fed infants. Use of antibiotics was prevalent among infants and may have impacted the stability of S-(-)equol production. No significant differences among the groups were observed in postweaning dietary intakes of total energy, carbohydrate, fiber, protein, fat, saturated fatty acids, or polyunsaturated fatty acids and the propensity to make S-(-)equol. In conclusion, S-(-)equol production is developmentally regulated and initially related to diet composition with the proportion of equol producers increasing over the first 3 years of life, with a trend for formula feeding favoring S-(-)equol production.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Mass Spectrometry, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
authors.forename: Nadine M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Mass Spectrometry, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Galandi
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
authors.forename: Suzanne S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Summer
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Mass Spectrometry, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
authors.forename: Xueheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Heubi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.
authors.forename: Eileen C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Mass Spectrometry, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH. Electronic address: Kenneth.Setchell@cchmc.org.
authors.forename: Kenneth D R
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Setchell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001903:Bottle Feeding; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D060754:Equol / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000737:chemistry; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007422:Intestines / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk; D008895:Milk, Human; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies; D045730:Soy Foods; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D007529:Isoflavones; D048789:Phytoestrogens; C013908:daidzin; D060754:Equol; C004742:daidzein
keywords: Antibiotics; Diet; Equol; Infant; Isoflavones; Soy