Toxic Effect of Preservative Butylparben on Ovarian Follicle Population in Immature and Adult C3H/He Albino Mice

Butylparaben is used as a preservative in some foods, cosmetics, personal care products, household products and drug formulations and is widely used by manufacturing companies for its low cost and efficiency as a microbial agent. Butylparaben is of growing concern as recent studies have revealed that it mimics estrogen activity in in vitro and in vivo studies and thereby acting as a potent xenoestrogen. Exposure to chemicals showing estrogenic property is found to affect follicular population in ovary. In the present study sensitivity of butylparaben exposure on ovarian follicular population of immature 28 days old female C3H mice and adult female C3H mice of 8 weeks of age was analysed for three different doses of Butylparaben of 10 mg/Kg body weight/day, 50 mg/Kg body weight/day and 100 mg/Kg body weight/day. In this study olive oil was considered as control and 17β Estradiol as positive control. The mice were subcutaneously exposed to the chemical for 30 days following which they are sacrificed and 6 μm thick section of each ovary was prepared stained in hematoxylin and eosin. Every 12th and 20th section was examined for counting smaller follicles and larger follicles respectively. The results of butylparaben exposure showed fewer primary follicles and atretic follicles similar to the results obtained following mice exposed to 17β Estradiol. Thus the data obtained from the present study reveals the estrogenic nature of butylparaben and increases concern over the wide use of the chemical in human.

Author(s): Pallabi Goswami* and J.C. Kalita

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