ENDOCRINE DISRUPTIVE EFFECT OF
SELECTED PHYTOESTROGENS FROM SOY AND
GREEN TEA IN CASE OF INDIVIDUAL AND
COMBINED IN VITRO EXPOSURE
ANCA POP1, DIANA LUPU1, TUDOR CĂTĂLIN DRUGAN2*,
FELICIA LOGHIN1, ADRIANA SLAVCOVICI3, BÉLA KISS1
1Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of
Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of
Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Cluj-Napoca,
Romania
3Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of
Medical Specialties – Infection Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Cluj-
Napoca, Romania
*corresponding author: tdrugan@umfcluj.ro
All authors had equal contribution to this research paper.
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Abstract:

Using the T47D-Kbluc reporter gene assay, this study aimed to evaluate the in
vitro (anti)estrogenic potential of coumestrol (COU) and epigalocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)
in binary mixtures. First, these two phytoestrogens were tested individually and in the
presence of 17β-estradiol (E2), for estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects, respectively.
EGCG alone did not activate estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent gene transcription below
200 μM, but was able to bind to nuclear estrogen receptors (ERs) and to decrease the ERmediated
estrogenic effects of 100 pM E2. In the same cell line, COU (0.001 μM – 100
μM) was able to elicit estrogenic effects when tested alone and antiestrogenic effects when
tested in the presence of 100 pM E2. Simultaneous exposure to these two phytoestrogens shows
that the estrogenic effect of COU is diminished in the presence of EGCG. By comparing
the obtained results with those predicted based on two reference models (concentration
addition and independent action) we can conclude that the two compounds interact at the
nuclear ERs level. Although EGCG manifests an inhibitory action on COUs estrogenic activity,
on the selected experimental domain this inhibition does not depend on EGCG concentration.

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