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Soy protein has been used in several Latin-American countries including Mexico in various food programs with the purpose to improve the nutritional status of the population due to the high nutritional value and its relatively low cost that was maintained for some time. In the present work, the use and research on soy in Mexico since 1970 is described. In addition, this review shows the effects of the different components of soy, in particular its protein and the isoflavones on health, the mechanism of action of soy protein to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, and insulin secretion, as well as its glycemic response, and finally, the recommendations of soy protein consumption to obtain a health benefit.

The adenine monophosphate (AMP) activated protein kinase (AMPK), is a heterotrimeric complex that is activated by an increase in the AMP/ATP ratio, and is considered to be a cellular energy sensor that contributes to regulate energy balance and caloric intake. AMPK is activated by LKB1 hinase and it can phophorylate several enzymes involved in anabolism to prevent further ATP consumption, and induces some catabolic enzymes to increase ATP generation. Furthermore, AMPK regulates the expression of genes involved in lipogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis, among others. AMPK is distributed in most organs including, liver, skeletal muscle, heart and hypothalamus; and even in adipose cells. In addition, AMPK is activated in the hypothalamus stimulating appetite due to energy depletion. AMPK also participates in glycolysis regulation, glucose uptake, lipid oxidation, fatty acid synthesis, cholesterol synthesis and gluconeogenesis, and it has been considered as a possible target enzyme in the treatment of some diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and hepatic steatosis. This review provides a general overview of AMPK structure, its activators and its function in the organism.

Consumption of soy has increased in Western countries due to the benefits on health and the attitude of the people to consume natural products as alternative to the use of pharmacological therapies. However, there is no evidence whether the consumption of 25 g of soy protein as recommended by the Food and Drug Administration has some effect on glucose absorption and consequently on insulin secretion. The aim of the present study was to determine glycemic index (GI), insulinemic index (InIn), and glycemic load (GL) of several soy beverages containing low or high concentration of carbohydrates, and compare them with other foods such as peanuts, whole milk, soluble fiber and a mixed meal on GI and InIn. The results showed that soy beverages had low or moderate GI, depending of the presence of other compounds like carbohydrates and fiber. Consumption of soy beverages with low concentration of carbohydrates produced the lowest insulin secretion. Therefore, these products can be recommended in obese and diabetic patients. Finally soy beverages should contain low maltodextrins concentration and be added of soluble fiber.

Hyperlipidemia occurs during nephrotic syndrome (NS). It is known that cholesterol and fatty acid biosynthesis is controlled by the transcription factors sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs). Soy protein consumption reduces the concentration of these lipids, although its mechanism of action is not well known. The aim of the present study was to establish whether soy protein consumption reduces cholesterol and triglycerides levels by regulating of SREBPs. Male Wistar rats with experimental NS were studied for 64 days. The results showed that rats fed with soy protein had significantly lower plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations as well as proteinuria than rats fed with casein diet. These decrements were associated with a decrease in the expression of SREBP-1 and fatty acid biosynthetic enzymes. In addition, Western blot analysis revealed that in nuclear extracts from hepatocytes of rats fed with soy protein, there was a lower concentration of SREBP-1 than in rats fed with casein. The results of this study indicate that consumption of a soy protein diet has beneficial effects on nephrotic syndrome.

Essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), linoleic acid n6 (LA) and linolenic acid (ALA) n3 obtained from the diet are precursors of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (Lc-PUFAs) arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) respectively. Consumption of PUFAs is related with a better neurological and cognitive development in newborns. It has been demonstrated that consumption of n-6 and n-3 PUFAs decreases blood triglycerides by increasing fatty acid oxidation through activation of PPARalpha or by reducing the activation of SREBP-1 inhibiting lipogenesis. Dietary PUFAs activate PPARalpha and PPARgamma increasing lipid oxidation, and decreasing insulin resistance leading in a reduction of hepatic steatosis. Beneficial effects of PUFAs have been observed in humans and in animals models of diabetes, obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. It is important to promote the consumption of PUFAs. Main food sources of PUFAs n-6 are corn, soy and safflower oil, and for PUFAs n-3 are fish, soy, canola oil and, flaxseed. Finally FAO/WHO recommends an optimal daily intake of n6/n3 of 5-10:1.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are a family of nuclear transcription factors that belong to the steroid receptor superfamily. PPARs family includes PPARalpha, PPARbeta/delta, PPARgamma1 and PPARgamma2. PPARs form an heterodimer with the 9-cis retinoic acid receptor (RXR) and bind to response elements present in target genes activated by these transcription factors. PPARs control the expression of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis, oxidation and storage. PPARs are present in most tissues, where PPARalpha is most abundant in liver and skeletal muscle, whereas PPARgamma is found mainly in adipose tissue. Natural ligands for PPARs are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and some eicosanoids, however they are also activated by compounds such as fibrates and thiazolidinediones (TZDs). In this review is shown the different PPARs isoforms, identification, and regulation of their expression and activity. Also shows which are the natural ligands, and the chemical compounds that activate PPARs. Finally, it shows the target genes activated by the different isoforms of PPARs, the metabolic integration between the different PPAR isoforms to maintain a balance between fatty acid synthesis and oxidation and the association with the development of obesity and insulin resistance. Also shows information about the nutritional requirements of PUFAs that are the main natural ligands of PPARs.

Cholesterol is an important lipid in higher organisms, and its concentration must be maintained in narrow limits depending of the cell needs. An excess of dietary cholesterol can lead to serious health problems, however, if consumption of this lipid is restricted in the diet, cells have the capacity to synthesize it. For the synthesis of cholesterol, the cell uses a family of proteins named sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBP's), that are transcriptional factors involved in the control of expression of genes of cholesterol and fatty acids synthesis. SREBP's regulate gene transcription by binding to cis-acting elements denominated sterol regulatory elements (SRE-1). SREBP's are localized in the endoplasmic reticulum, but in the event that the cell needs to synthesize cholesterol, the NH2-terminal portion of these proteins is cleaved by two specific proteases, and then travels into the nucleus to function as transcriptional factor. The present review shows the details of the mechanism that the cell uses to regulate cholesterol biosynthesis by the SREBP's, and its potential metabolic implications.