From pure compounds to complex exposure: Effects of dietary cadmium and lignans on estrogen, epidermal growth factor receptor, and mitogen activated protein kinase signaling in vivo.

•Endocrine activity of diet-bound cadmium and lignans at human relevant exposure.•Diet rich in cadmium activates EGFR-MAPK signalling as predicted by CdCl2 exposure studies.•Enterolactone is an estrogen modulator as pure compound but not in dietary exposure.•Dietary and pure compound exposure can be compared in controlled settings in vivo.