Biological Activities of Soybean (Glycine max L.) Oil and Its Bioactive Constituents: A Focus on Volatile Fractions and Functional Potential
Ivica Delic1, Maja Matosa Kocar2, Goran Jukic3, Ivan Varnica3, Valentina Spanic4,*
1 Department of Plant Varieties and Propagating Material Sector, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Zagreb, Croatia
2 Department of Industrial Plants Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural Institute Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
3 Department for Plant Varieties, Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food, Osijek, Croatia
4 Department of Small Cereal Crops Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural Institute Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
* Corresponding Author: Valentina Spanic. Email: 
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: The Biological Activity of Essential Oils, Volume II)
Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.077597
Received 12 December 2025; Accepted 18 February 2026; Published online 05 March 2026
Abstract
Soybean oil is one of the most widely consumed vegetable oils globally, valued not only for its affordability and functional properties but also for its rich profile of bioactive compounds. This review critically synthesizes current knowledge on the non-volatile bioactive constituents of crude and refined soybean oil, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, phytosterols, phospholipids, and saponins, as well as volatile bioactives present in soybean essential oil. Emphasis is placed on their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, metabolic, antimicrobial, and dermatological activities, alongside their relevance for functional foods, nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and pharmaceutical applications. The review examines how oil refining, storage, thermal processing, genotype, environmental conditions, and post-harvest handling influence the concentration, stability, and bioactivity of these compounds, highlighting the trade-off between shelf-life extension and loss of health-promoting constituents. Although soybean essential oil contains biologically active volatiles with demonstrated antimicrobial and antioxidant effects, their extremely low abundance limits practical applications. Advances in breeding strategies, optimized agronomic practices, and green extraction technologies are discussed as promising approaches to enhance bioactive retention and oil quality. While substantial
in vitro and preclinical evidence supports the therapeutic potential of soybean oil components and volatiles, human clinical data remain limited. Future research should focus on well-designed clinical trials, synergistic interactions among bioactives, standardized processing protocols, and long-term health outcomes. Overall, soybean oil emerges as a multifunctional plant-derived ingredient with significant potential for health promotion and sustainable industrial use.
Keywords
Bioactive compounds; oil; soybean; mechanism
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