Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor by some vegetable constituents determined using in vitro reporter gene assay.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates the biological action of many aromatic environmental pollutants. In this study, we investigated the activation of the AhR by some vegetable constituents using the AhR-based bioassay for dioxins, i.e., the chemical activated luciferase gene expression (CALUX) assay. Ninety-five vegetable constituents, including flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and terpenes, were tested in vitro. Among them, isoflavones such as daidzein, resveratrol having a stilbene structure, and some flavonoids such as naringenin, hesperetin, and baicalein showed AhR activation.