The preservatives ethyl-, propyl- and butylparaben are oestrogenic in an in vivo fish assay.
The widely used phenolic preservatives ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and their common metabolite p-hydroxybenzoic acid were tested for their ability to evoke an oestrogenic response in vivo. Yolk protein induction in sexually immature rainbow trout was used as an oestrogen-specific endpoint after repeated injections of the compounds. All tested parabens were oestrogenic in doses between 100 and 300 mg/kg, while the metabolite showed no activity. Ethylparaben was found to be approximately sixty times weaker than propyl- and butylparaben which had oestrogenic potencies comparable to those previously found for bisphenol A.
Pedersen
K L
KL
Danish Center for Environmental Oestrogen Research, Institute of Biology, USD Odense University.
Pedersen
S N
SN
Christiansen
L B
LB
Korsgaard
B
B
Bjerregaard
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss / Q000097:blood; D010226:Parabens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000097:blood
D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D005520:Food Preservatives; D010226:Parabens; D014819:Vitellogenins; C012313:ethyl-p-hydroxybenzoate; C038091:butylparaben; C038193:4-hydroxybenzoic acid; C006068:propylparaben