Soybean is a source of protein, fibers, and phytochemical isoflavones which are considered to have numerous health benefits for children and adulthood. On the other hand, isoflavones are widely known as phytoestrogens that exert their action via the estrogen signaling pathway. With this regard, isoflavones are also considered as endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Endogenous estrogen plays a crucial role in brain development through binding to estrogen receptors (ERs) or G protein-coupled estrogen receptors 1 (GPER1) and regulates morphogenesis, migration, functional maturation, and intracellular metabolism of neurons and glial cells. Soy isoflavones can also bind to ERs, GPER1, and, furthermore, other receptors to modulate their action. Therefore, soy isoflavone consumption may affect brain development during the pre-and post-natal periods. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the mechanisms of isoflavone action, particularly in the early stages of brain development by introducing representative human, and animal models, and in vitro studies, and discusses their beneficial and adverse impact on neurobehavior. As a conclusion, the soy product consumption during the pre-and post-natal periods under proper range of dose showed beneficial effects in neurobehavior development, including improvement of anxiety, aggression, hyperactive behavior, and cognition, whereas their adverse effect by taking higher doses cannot be excluded. We also present novel research lines to further assess the effect of soy isoflavone administration during brain development.

大豆是蛋白质、纤维和植物化学异黄酮的来源，被认为对儿童和成人有许多健康益处。另一方面，异黄酮被广泛称为植物雌激素，通过雌激素信号通路发挥作用。在这方面，异黄酮也被认为是内分泌干扰化学物质。内源性雌激素通过与雌激素受体 (ER) 或 G 蛋白偶联雌激素受体 1 (GPER1) 结合在大脑发育中发挥至关重要的作用，并调节神经元和神经胶质细胞的形态发生、迁移、功能成熟和细胞内代谢。大豆异黄酮还可以与 ER、GPER1 以及其他受体结合来调节其作用。因此，食用大豆异黄酮可能会影响产前和产后的大脑发育。本综述通过介绍代表性的人类和动物模型以及体外研究，总结了异黄酮作用机制的当前知识，特别是在大脑发育的早期阶段，并讨论了它们对神经行为的有益和不利影响。总之，产前和产后期间在适当剂量范围内食用豆制品对神经行为发育有有益作用，包括改善焦虑、攻击性、多动行为和认知，而服用较高剂量则会产生不利影响不能排除。我们还提出了新的研究路线，以进一步评估大豆异黄酮在大脑发育过程中的作用。