Annex A to TOX/2026/32
Published 4 September 2026
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This is a paper for discussion. This does not represent the views of the Committee and should not be cited.
Annex A - Literature searches
The literature search parameters included papers published between 1st January 2000 to 30th April 2026.
The following search terms were submitted into PubMed and Scopus and the relevant papers founds as well as references therein were cited in this paper:
| Concept Block | Main Terms | Synonyms / Related Terms | Database Tags / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure | phytoestrogens | phytoestrogen, phyto-oestrogen, isoflavone, genistein, daidzein, glycitein, coumestrol, coumestan, lignan*, enterolactone, enterodiol | Use keywords ([tiab]) |
| Dietary Source | soy / plant foods | soy, soya, soybean*, soy foods, tofu, tempeh, flaxseed, linseed, legumes | Useful if papers discuss foods not “phytoestrogens” |
| Population | maternal | maternal, mother*, pregnant women, women, expectant mothers | Use keywords + MeSH |
| Exposure Window | pregnancy | pregnancy, pregnant, gestation, gestational, prenatal, antenatal, perinatal | PubMed MeSH: “Pregnancy”[Mesh] |
| Optional Postnatal Window | lactation | lactation, breastfeeding, breast milk, postpartum | Add if including transfer after birth |
| Maternal Outcomes | maternal health | endocrine, hormone*, thyroid, glucose, insulin, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes | Add if focusing on mother |
| Fetal Outcomes | fetal development | fetus, foetus, fetal growth, placent*, birth weight, congenital | Good for pregnancy outcome focus |
| Child / Offspring Outcomes | offspring health | offspring, infant, newborn, neonatal, child*, puberty, reproductive development, neurodevelopment | Good for long-term developmental toxicology |
| Toxicology Mechanisms | endocrine disruption | endocrine disrupt, estrogenic, hormonal, reproductive toxic, developmental toxic* | Strong for toxicology framing |
| Study Type (optional) | human studies | cohort, case-control, longitudinal, intervention, epidemiology | Use filters later |
Search Strategy Phytoestrogens Recommended Search Sequence Search 1 — BroadExposure + Pregnancy
Search 2 — Outcomes
Exposure + Pregnancy + Outcomes Search 3 — Specific compound Genistein + pregnancy
Search 4 — Soy foods
Soy + pregnancy + offspring
Pubmed search strategy
(
phytoestrogen*[tiab]
OR phyto-oestrogen[tiab] OR isoflavone[tiab]
OR genistein[tiab] OR daidzein[tiab] OR glycitein[tiab] OR coumestrol[tiab] OR lignan*[tiab]
OR enterolactone[tiab] OR enterodiol[tiab] OR soy[tiab]
OR soya[tiab]
OR soybean*[tiab] OR “Genistein”[Mesh]
OR “Soybean Proteins”[Mesh]
) AND (
“Pregnancy”[Mesh]
OR “Maternal Exposure”[Mesh] OR pregnant[tiab]
OR pregnancy[tiab] OR maternal[tiab] OR mother[tiab] OR gestation[tiab] OR prenatal[tiab]
) AND (
“Pregnancy Outcome”[Mesh]
OR “Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects”[Mesh] OR fetal[tiab]
OR placenta[tiab] OR offspring[tiab] OR endocrine[tiab] OR reproductive[tiab]
OR neurodevelopment*[tiab])
AND Humans[Mesh]
If results are too broad:
Add date limits
AND (“2000”[dp] : “2026”[dp])
AND english[lang]
If results are too narrow -remove outcome block exposure AND pregnancy
Scopus Search Strategy (doesn’t use tiab or MeSH)
Use in advanced Search
TITLE-ABS-KEY (
phytoestrogen* OR phyto-oestrogen* OR isoflavone* OR genistein OR daidzein OR glycitein OR coumestrol OR lignan* OR enterolactone OR enterodiol OR soy OR soya OR soybean*
) AND
TITLE-ABS-KEY (
maternal OR mother* OR pregnan* OR gestation* OR prenatal OR antenatal
) AND
TITLE-ABS-KEY (
fetal OR foetal OR placenta* OR offspring OR neonatal OR endocrine OR hormon* OR reproductive OR neurodevelopment*
) AND
LIMIT-TO(DOCTYPE, “ar”)
Web of Science
Use in advanced search (TS= topic search)
. If too many results can ADD human or AND women or restrict years
TS= (
phytoestrogen* OR phyto-oestrogen* OR isoflavone* OR genistein OR daidzein OR glycitein OR coumestrol OR lignan* OR enterolactone OR enterodiol OR soy OR soya OR soybean*
) AND TS= (
maternal OR mother* OR pregnan* OR gestation* OR prenatal OR antenatal
) AND
TS= (
fetal OR foetal OR placenta* OR offspring OR neonatal OR endocrine OR hormon* OR reproductive OR neurodevelopment*