Polyamine content in plant derived food: a comparison between soybean and Jerusalem artichoke

This paper aims to compare the dietary polyamine intake coming from foods derived from two different plants: soybean (Glycine max L.) well known and universally utilised both fresh and processed, and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) tuber, not yet well known and scarcely utilised in the everyday diet. Free, soluble and insoluble conjugated polyamines were determined in different soy-derived foodstuffs such as milk, tofu and fermented soy sauce, and in soybeans coming from two different organic experimental fields (Imola and Altedo, Bologna, Italy). Results show that free polyamines (in particular putrescine and spermidine) were present in relevant amounts especially in tofu and soy sauce. Conversely, the Helianthus parenchymatous medulla tissue, which is the only edible part of the tuber, contains very low levels of polyamines, which are instead preferentially accumulated in the buds. These data could suggest a preferential utilisation of Helianthus tuber in the diet of people with special needs, such as patients treated by chemotherapy and patients with diabetes.