Soy-derived materials: a sustainable resource and their applications in medicine and tissue engineering

As the trend of ‘green medicine’ has emerged robustly over the past decades, an expanding demand for sustainable development of biomaterials has led scientists to shift their attention to more sustainable alternatives such as plant-derived products, especially soybean-derived products. The cultivation of soy farms, if performed responsibly, can generate fewer greenhouse gases than synthetic or animal-derived materials can generate, leading to a lower environmental footprint. In this narrative review, first, we briefly summarize the history of soy-based materials, how they have been used in different cultures worldwide for thousands of years, and their bioactive components, including proteins, isoflavones, lecithin, and other minerals. Our review will also discuss the sustainability of these biomaterials in greater depth, with a focus on their biodegradability, biocompatibility, renewable nature and multiple applications in current medicine and tissue engineering areas. While soy products have been proven to be promising, eco-friendly alternatives in these fields, much more effort and further research are needed to optimize their performance and scalability before they can be fully applied in clinical settings in the future.