Phytoestrogens Enterodiol

Wang L. Mammalian phytoestrogens enterodiol and enterolactone. / Chromatogr, B Anal Technol Biomed Life Sci. 2002 777 289-309. 

Phytoestrogens may modulate the activity of the human sex steroid binding protein and so influence the role of this protein in the delivery of hormonal information to sex steroid-dependent cells, as reported by Martin et al. [93] in research with NDGA, enterolactone and enterodiol. These phytoestrogens had different dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the steroid binding protein. 

Flaxseed contains the compound secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG), which is converted by bacteria in the colon to the mammalian lignans enterodiol and enterolactone, compounds that have phytoestrogenic activity (Power and Thompson 2007). 

The lignan phytoestrogen precursors matairesinol and secisolariciresinol are present in foods as glycosides and are converted by gut bacteria to the two main mammalian lignans enterolactone and entero-diol, respectively, which are weakly oestrogenic. Matairesinol undergoes dehydroxylation and demethylation directly to enterolactone, whereas secisolariciresinol is converted to enterodiol, which can then be oxidized to enterolactone. After absorption, enterolactone and enterodiol are converted to their yS-glucuronides and eventually excreted in urine. 

---