Lack of oestrogenic effects of food preservatives (parabens) in uterotrophic assays.

Abstract

The oestrogenic activity of the parabens, methyl-, ethyl- and propyl p-hydroxybenzoate, widely used as antimicrobials in food, and butyl p-hydroxybenzoate, which is used in cosmetic products, and their shared main metabolite p-hydroxybenzoic acid was investigated in a mouse uterotrophic assay. Immature B6D2F1 mice were treated with oral or subcutaneous doses of the test compounds for three consecutive days. p-Hydroxybenzoic acid and butyl p-hydroxybenzoate were also tested by the subcutaneous route in a rat uterotrophic assay. A significant increase in the uterus weight at day 4 was considered an oestrogenic effect. In the mouse assay, none of the compounds tested produced any oestrogenic response at dose levels up to 100mg/kg body weight per day, for ethyl p-hydroxybenzoate even at a dose level of 1000mg/kg body weight per day. In immature Wistar rats, subcutaneous administration of butyl p-hydroxybenzoate produced a weak oestrogenic response at 600mg/kg body weight per day.

• Authors: A Hossaini, J J Larsen, J C Larsen
• Journal: Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association (Food Chem Toxicol) Vol. 38 Issue 4 Pg. 319-23 (Apr 2000) ISSN: 0278-6915 [Print] England
• PMID: 10722885 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Food Preservatives
• Parabens

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Analysis of Variance
• Animals
• Body Weight (drug effects)
• Female
• Food Preservatives (administration & dosage, metabolism, toxicity)
• Injections, Subcutaneous
• Mice
• Organ Size (drug effects)
• Parabens (administration & dosage, metabolism, toxicity)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Species Specificity
• Structure-Activity Relationship
• Uterus (drug effects)