The commercially known parabens are esters of the phydroxybenzoic
acid that are used as preservatives and bactericides
in personal care products, pharmaceutical preparations and food
and beverages [1–3], due to their good stability and low volatility.
Various published studies, in vivo and in vitro, have reported
the estrogenic activity of parabens. This activity depends on
the length and ramification of the chain. Parabens with shorter
side chains are less potent estrogens than those with longer or
branched side chains [4,5]. MeP and PrP are the most commonly
employed parabens, and they are often used together since they
have synergistic effects. In recent years, there is a controversy
about the exposition to low-levels of these compounds; former
researches reported some cases of dermatitis and more recent studies
have shown the presence of parabens in tissue samples from
human breast tumours with an overall mean value of 20.6 ng g−1
[6].