SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS OF MICROBIAL ANTAGONISTS AND ...

second substance is spar~ngly soluble in alcohol and crystall~ms in colourlessprismatic rods, mp: 322-323" (decomp.), the third substance (CI~HIZOJ ) which ismore soluble. cvstallizes also in colourless prismatic mds, mp: 31 6-31 7" (decomp.)and is identical to tatoin, which is now regarded to be daidzein contaming genlstein asimpurity. Soybean lecithln is the term appl~ed to the total phosphatides (I.5-2.5%) ofsoybean. It is ohtamed as a by-product of the soybean oil industry. It is yellow, wax-like material consisting of lecithin (29%), cephalin (31%) and inositol phosphatides(40%) (Anonymous, 1948).Medicinal valueNowadays, soybeans are widely employed for the industrial production ofantlbiot~cs. l'odav, most steroids which are w~dely used to treat arthritis and toachleve contraception are made from natural compounds called sitosterol andstlgmasterol, a product of soybean processing. Stigmasterol and sitosterol arepromising materials for the synthesis of hormones. Soybean tocopherols have beenused as antioxidants for vegetable oils. Recent research studies indicate that womenwho eat soybean r~ch dlets are upto eight times less likely to develop breast cancerthan other women, probably because of the presence of antiestrogen compound suchas phytoestrogens (Hill and Sharma, 1996).Economic lmportmce and usesSeeds are used In the preparation of certain confectionary products.Foodstuffs made from soybeans are curd, cheese, drinks, sauces (soy), "greens"(sprouts) for salad and oil. The dried or fresh seeds of the soybean are also eatendirectly, but In the orient they are used in the more processed form to provide varietyof nutritive products. Of these, tofu, okara, soya milk and soya sauce are the most