Indolylfuran, a potent aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist from sauerkraut, interacts with the oestrogen pathway

Microencapsulation of Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana L.) Juice Using Spray-Drying

Horseradish contains many bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of various wall materials and their ratios on the physical properties and bioactive-compound retention and stability in microencapsulated horseradish leaf and root juices. Horseradish juice was microencapsulated using maltodextrin, maltodextrin/gum Arabic, soy protein isolate, and starch with three different core-to-wall ratios. The total phenolic, total flavonoid, total flavan-3-ol, and total phenolic-acid contents, as well as antioxidant activity, were determined using spectrophotometric methods, whereas individual phenol profiles were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Multivariate analysis of variance showed that plant material, wall material, and core-to-wall ratio had a significant effect on the bioactive-compound retention and antioxidant-activity preservation. Microcapsules produced from horseradish leaf juice had a significantly higher content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity compared to root-juice microcapsules. However, better retention was observed for microencapsulated horseradish root juice. Maltodextrin and maltodextrin/gum Arabic were the most effective wall materials for the retention of bioactive compounds, while they also had a smaller particle size and better solubility. The horseradish-juice microcapsules possess a high content of rutin. The highest stability of bioactive compounds after storage was found at a core-to-wall ratio of 20:80.

Progesterone, as well as 17β-estradiol, is important for regulating AHR battery homoeostasis in the rat uterus

Several studies indicate that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), which plays an important role in mediating the toxicity of many industrial chemicals, plays an important role in the physiology of female reproductive tract organs. This makes it likely that the AHR and additional components of the AHR signalling pathway are under the control of female sex steroids. In a previous study, we could already demonstrate the regulation of many members of the AHR battery by 17β-estradiol (E2) in the uterus of rats. In this study, we addressed the potential role of progesterone (P4) in this context. In a comparative approach using ovariectomized rats which were treated for 3 days with either vehicle control, E2, progesterone (P4) or the combination of both hormones in addition to sham-operated animals, we could demonstrate that in addition to E2, P4 is also an important factor in regulating AHR signalling in the rat uterus. P4 has effects similar to E2 on uterine Ahr, Arnt and Arnt2 mRNA levels, resulting in a downregulation of these genes, while the E2-mediated downregulation of key AHR response genes Cyp1a1, Gsta2 and Ugt1 is completely antagonized by P4. As with E2, P4 leads to an increase in uterine AHR levels, especially in the endometrial epithelium despite the decrease in corresponding mRNA levels. This indicates a complex gene-specific regulatory network involving E2, P4 and possibly AHR itself to maintain all components of the AHR signalling cascade at the required levels during all stages of the oestrous cycle and pregnancy.