The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soy hydrolysate fractions on appetite suppression and ghrelin releasing. In a short-term experiment, the cumulative food intake and serum ghrelin level were decreased significantly (p<0.05) during a 4-hr period after the interperitoneal injection of soy hydrolysate fractions (0.5, 1 g/㎏ BW), following a 12-hr period of food deprivation. In a long-term experiment, food efficiency ratio (FER) was also reduced significantly (p<0.05), when soy hydrolysate fractions (0.5, 1% in drinking water) were given orally for 8 wks. Therefore, we found that soy hydrolysate fractions affected food intake through appetite and ghrelin releasing in short-term and long-term experiments. In conclusion, this study indicated that soy hydrolysate fractions would diminish the sensation of hunger by reducing the secretion of orexigenic factors such as ghrelin that send satiety signals to the brain, terminating food intake.

시상하부-뇌하수체-생식소(hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad, HPG) 호르몬 축의 활성에 영향을 미치는 수많은 인자들은 생식 기능을 조절하고, 사춘기 개시와 폐경기 진입과 같은 뚜렷한 생식 능력의 단계 전이를 초래한다. 지방세포로부터 분비되는 다기능적 호르몬인 leptin의 발견 이후, 곧 이어 생식과 신체의 에너지 균형 사이의 긴밀한 관계에 대한 증거들이 밝혀졌다. 위장관으로부터 분비되는 또 다른 다기능 호르몬인 ghrelin은 이미