The changes in isoflavone and γ-aminobutyric (GABA) contents and antioxidant activity of
germinated soybean seeds were investigated. Three Chinese soybean cultivars (ZH 13, 30
and 42) released for high yield and protein content were evaluated. The results showed that
the total isoflavone contents at peak level were 86.3, 81.0, and 42.3% higher than that of
the un-germinated control for ZH 42, 13 and 30, respectively. GABA content of ZH 13 in particular
was a statistically significant 36.7-fold increase in day 5 germinated soybeans as
compared to un-germinated soybean. Such increases also led to significantly elevated antioxidant
activities. Moreover, germination can significantly suppress IL-8 expression in Caco-2
cells by ZH 13 extract (P < 0.05) without cell apoptosis. Current results suggest that ZH 13
soybean is a cultivar that can be used to develop nutritional and functional foods with important
health benefits