title: Synthesis of DEHP metabolites as biomarkers for GC-MS evaluation of phthalates as endocrine disrupters.
abstract: Phthalates are used primarily as plasticizers to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) soft and flexible. In recent years the phthalate esters have attracted increasing attention as environmental and biomedical pollutants and, because of their toxicological characteristics. In particular, they are more and more recognized as endocrine disrupters. In this context, we describe herein an efficient synthetic pathway leading to a series of metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Mono(2-ethylhexenyl) phthalate was used as starting material to obtain these products in good yield, large scale and GC-MS purity. The metabolites of DEHP were synthesized, for the first time, as biomarkers to verify their quantitative determination in human urine and serum by GC-MS analysis for studying the exposure to phthalates and establishing reference values.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Peptide & Protein Chemistry & Biology, Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Florence and CNR-ICCOM, Polo Scientifico, Via della Lastruccia 13, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nuti
authors.forename: Sibylle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hildenbrand
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chelli
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wodarz
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Papini
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000187:drug effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning / Q000652:urine; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010795:Phthalic Acids; C032279:phthalic acid; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate