Estrogenic activity of the phytoestrogens naringenin, 6-(1,1-dimethylallyl)naringenin and 8-prenylnaringenin.

Chemically synthesized naringenin derivatives, identical to natural occurring compounds, were tested for their estrogenic activity using two independent estrogen screening assays. Using a yeast based estrogen receptor assay, strong estrogenic activities were demonstrated for 6-(1,1-dimethylallyl)naringenin and 8-prenylnaringenin, while the parent compound naringenin did not show recognizable estrogenic activity. In MVLN cells, a bioluminescent MCF-7-derived cell line, the estrogenic activity of 8-prenylnaringenin and 6-(1,1-dimethylallyl)naringenin was detected at concentrations of 10(-6) M and 5 x 10(-6) M respectively.