Evaluation of DNA and cellular damage caused by methyl-, ethyl- and butylparaben in vitro

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the cytogenotoxic effects of methylparaben, ethylparaben and butylparaben using battery of tests in plant cells (Allium cepa assay) and human lymphocytes (chromosome aberration test and alkaline comet assay). Our results for A. cepa assay showed that none of the tested parabens showed an inducing effect on root growth. Mitotic index values decreased with increasing parabens concentration. Ethylparaben (0.10 mg/L) induced a higher number of vagrants and multipolarity, as well as the number of sticky chromosomes (0.50 mg/L), while butylparaben (0.25 and 0.50 mg/L) increased the frequency of sticky chromosomes. Higher frequency of apoptosis and necrosis was observed for ethylparaben (0.50 mg/L) and methylparaben (0.10 and 0.50 mg/L). As for chromosome aberrations test in human lymphocytes, the mitotic index was reduced with an increase in the concentration of all three tested parabens. Differences between methylparaben (0.25 mg/L), ethylparaben (0.10 mg/L) and butylparaben (0.25 mg/L) and controls for acentric fragments, chromatid breaks and polyploidy were observed. Increased frequency of apoptosis was induced by methylparaben and ethylparaben at concentrations of 0.25 and 0.50 mg/L. Alkaline comet assay demonstrated that 0.25 and 0.50 mg/L of ethylparaben and butylparaben have genotoxic potential by increasing the tail intensity against controls. These results suggest that methyl-, ethyl- and butylparaben possess certain geno/cytotoxic potential.