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Screening for Phytoestrogens using a Cell-based Estrogen Receptor β Reporter Assay

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Published on: June 7, 2020

Environmental epigenetics and phytoestrogen/phytochemical exposures.

Carlos M Guerrero-Bosagna¹, Michael K Skinner

¹Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4236, USA.

The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

|January 1, 2013

Summary

Nutrition and plant compounds like phytoestrogens can alter epigenetics, influencing health and potentially future generations. This review explores environmental epigenetics of phytochemicals and their broad biological impacts.

Keywords:

Environmental exposures Epigenetics Phytochemicals Phytoestrogens Review Transgenerational

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Area of Science:

Environmental epigenetics
Phytochemicals and human health
Evolutionary biology

Background:

Nutrition and plant compounds are key environmental factors influencing epigenetic alterations.
Phytoestrogens and phytochemicals significantly impact cellular signaling, developmental, and physiological events.
Epigenetics serves as a critical molecular pathway for environmental factors to affect biology.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current knowledge on the environmental epigenetics of phytoestrogen and phytochemical exposures.
To examine the impacts of these exposures on health, disease, and evolutionary biology.
To consider the implications of heritable epigenetic changes through transgenerational mechanisms.

Main Methods:

Literature review of existing research on environmental epigenetics.
Analysis of studies focusing on phytoestrogen and phytochemical exposure.
Consideration of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance.

Main Results:

Phytoestrogens and phytochemicals demonstrably induce epigenetic alterations.
These alterations can influence health outcomes and disease susceptibility.
Potential for transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic changes impacting future generations.

Conclusions:

Environmental epigenetics, particularly from plant compounds, plays a crucial role in health and disease.
Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance mediated by phytochemicals warrants further investigation.
Understanding these mechanisms is vital for evolutionary biology and public health.