Abstract: A large number of studies have shown that although phytochemical, Chinese herbal medicines and phytoestrogens are abundant and diverse, they show common structural and function characteristics, and almost all of them have estrogenic characteristics. It has also been found that most phytoestrogens and estrogen receptors (ERs), especially ERα and ERβ, can mutually recognize each other and further interact with the nuclear receptor superfamily to regulate gene expression and modification in the nucleus, thus controlling nutrient and energy metabolism as well as epigenetic adaptation. However, it is crucial that these phytoestrogens not only control the slow transcription-based signaling pathways, but also regulate the fast calcium channel-based neural and endocrine signaling pathways. The latter has been known to rely on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). In recent years, it has found that GPR30/G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) is the key node that constitutes both signaling pathways. This paper summarizes recent progress in research on GPER and its application for evaluating the functional quality of foods, and it presents an outlook on future prospects in this field.

Key words: GPR30/GPER, estrogen receptor, phytochemicals, phytoestrogens, food function, Chinese herbal medicine