Commonly occurring plant flavonoids have estrogenic activity.

A remarkable diversity of naturally occurring and synthetic compounds have been shown to mimic the biological effects of 17 beta-estradiol by virtue of their ability to bind to and activate the nuclear estrogen receptor. This report extends the family of nonsteroidal estrogens to include several multiply hydroxylated chalcones, flavanones, and flavones. The hormone-like activity of these natural plant products is indicated by their ability to stimulate an estrogen receptor-dependent transcriptional response and to promote growth of estrogen-dependent MCF7 cells in culture. The transcriptional response can be inhibited by the steroidal estrogen antagonist ICI-164,384 and is specific for the estrogen receptor. Evidence is presented to show that selected hydroxylated flavonoids interact directly with the estrogen receptor, based on their ability to compete for the binding of 17 beta-[3H]estradiol to the receptor in cell-free extracts. These compounds are less active, on a molar basis, than 17 beta-estradiol or the synthetic dihydroxystilbene estrogens, but they have potencies comparable to those of other known phytoestrogens. Together, these findings broaden our understanding of the structure-activity relationships for nonsteroidal estrogens and present a series of new chemical prototypes for the future development of potentially useful agonists and antagonists for this nuclear receptor. The wide distribution of weakly estrogenic flavonoid pigments in food crops and medicinal plants raises additional questions about the possible health risks and benefits of these compounds, meriting closer examination of their presence in the human diet.