• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.1131-1136
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• 2013

Parabens, the esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, have been widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetic products, drugs, and processed foods and beverages. However, some parabens have been shown to have weak estrogenic effects through in vivo and in vitro studies. Because such widespread use has raised concerns about the potential human health risks associated with exposure to parabens, we developed a simultaneous analytical method to quantify 4 parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl) in human urine, by using solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. This method showed good specificity, linearity ($R^2$ > 0.999), accuracy (92.2-112.4%), precision (0.9-9.6%, CV), and recovery (95.7-102.0%). The LOQs for the 4 parabens were 1.0, 0.5, 0.2, and 0.5 ng/mL, respectively. This method could be used for quick and accurate analysis of a large number of human samples in epidemiological studies to assess the prevalence of human exposure to parabens.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.197-203
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• 2006

Parabens are most wildly used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutic products as preservatives caused of safety and cheap. we had examined that paraben had estrogenic activity through the in vivo and in vitro experiments in last year. We demonstrated that most of parabens(ethyl, butyl, propyl, isobutyl, isopropyl) increased significantly uterus weight as well as induced proliferation of MCF-7 cell and binding of estrogen receptor as endocrine disrupter compounds. In this study, we evaluated that whether parabens have effect on male reproductive system or not. the male rats were administrated parabens by oral injection then examined separation of preputial day for $PND23\simPND52$. As the results, most parabens delayed pubertal development compare to control group. The separation of preputial day of Butyl and Propyl parabens at high concentration were PND 44 days and PND 45days compared to control group as PND 40 days. Even though, parabens as endocrine disrupter wildly spread in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutic products, we didn't have the safe guideline. In abroad, they are re-evaluating safety assessment for parabens. In conclusion, parabens delayed pubertal development in juvenile parabens are consider as endocrine disrupter chemicals.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.127-136
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• 2015

A simultaneous determination method was developed for nine preservatives (benzoic acid, sorbic acid, dehydroacetic acid, methyl-, ethyl-, isopropyl-, propyl-, isobutyl- and butyl-parabens) in sausage by liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS). Each parameter was established by multiple reaction monitoring in negative mode. Separation was achieved on a phenyl-hexyl ($2.5{\mu}m$, $2.1{\times}150mm$, Waters) with A-20 mM ammonium acetate containing 0.1% acetic acid in water, B-Acetonitrile as mobile phase with gradient mode at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The developed method was validated for specificity, linearity, accuracy and precision in sausages samples. Linearity was over 0.998 with calibration curve of the mixed standards. The mean recoveries from sausages fortified at the level of 2.0~10.0 mg/L were in range of 98.60~109.16% with RSDs lower than 8.93%. The limits of detection (LOD) and the limits of quantification (LOQ) were in the range between 0.0003~0.085 mg/L and 0.01~0.257 mg/L, respectively. Intra-day precision and inter-day precision were 0.45~6.16% and 2.81~13.33%, respectively. Using presently developed determination method, 33 field sausage samples from Gwangju city in Korea were screened over nine preservatives. As a result, no preservatives were detected in all samples.