Epidemiological studies indicate lower prevalences of breast and prostate cancers and cardiovascular disease in Southeast Asia where vegetarianism is popular and diets are traditionally high in phytoestrogens. This study assessed plasma isoflavones in vegetarian and non-vegetarian Malaysian men according to age. Daidzein, genistein, equol (a daidzein metabolite), formononetin, biochanin A, estrone, estradiol and testosterone were measured by validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LCMSMS). Plasma isoflavone and sex hormone concentrations were measured in 225 subjects according to age (18-34, 35-44 and 45-67 years old). In all age groups, vegetarians had a higher concentration of circulating isoflavones compared with non-vegetarians especially in the 45-67 year age group where all isoflavones except equol, were significantly higher in vegetarians compared with omnivores. By contrast, the 18-34 year group had a significantly higher concentration of daidzein in vegetarians and significantly higher testosterone and estrone concentrations compared with non-vegetarians. In this age group there were weak correlations between estrone, estradiol and testosterone with some of the isoflavones. This human study provides the first Malaysian data for the phytoestrogen status of vegetarian and nonvegetarian men.
流行病学研究表明东南亚乳腺癌、前列腺癌和心血管疾病的发病率较低，素食 在这些地区备受欢迎，传统饮食中富含植物雌激素。本研究根据年龄评估了马 来西亚素食和非素食男性血浆中异黄酮的含量。通过高效液相色谱-串联质谱 法（LCMSMS）测定血浆中大豆异黄酮、染料木素、雌马酚（一种大豆异黄 酮的代谢产物）、芒柄花素、鹰嘴豆芽素A、雌酮、雌二醇和睾酮的浓度。按 照年龄（18-34 岁、35-44 岁和45-67 岁）测定了225 名研究对象的血浆异黄酮 和性激素的浓度。在所有年龄组，尤其是45-67 岁组，素食者循环异黄酮浓度 高于非素食者，在45-67 岁组，除雌马酚外的所有异黄酮，素食者均显著高于 杂食者。相反，在18-34 岁组，素食者的大豆异黄酮、睾酮和雌酮的浓度显著 高于非素食者。在这个年龄组中，雌酮、雌二醇和睾酮与一些异黄酮之间有弱 的相关性。本研究提供了马来西亚素食和非素食男性植物雌激素状态的第一手 资料。.