I recently said this to my favorite cyclist when discussing that he may not want to apply chamois cream containing parabens (the junk) to his junk. Male cyclists are repeatedly applying (maybe daily, for 5-7 hours at a time) these paraben containing creams to their reproductive parts. Research is showing that maybe they should reconsider.
You may see parabens listed as “methylparaben” “propylparaben” or “butylparaben” Etc. Don’t let that fool you; these compounds are all structurally and functionally similar compounds, each just has an additional carbon group – the methyl, propyl, or butyl.
Parabens’ alias is alkyl hydroxy benzoate, not as easily recognizable, but still present on food and cosmetic labels. You can find these parabens in hair products, skin care products, or even your salad dressing! For male cyclists, they are in most creams that are applied to the groin area to alleviate chafing against the saddle of the bike.
Studies have shown that parabens can mimic the female sex hormone estrogen (Gomez et al 2005) and in turn can act as endocrine disruptors, inhibiting “testosterone (T)-induced transcriptional activity” (Chen et al 2007). Also, “exposure of post-weaning mammals to butyl paraben adversely affects the secretion of testosterone and the function of the male reproductive system.” Similar effects can be seen with propyl paraben (Oishi 2002).
What are other potential effects of this chemical on males? Recent research has shown parabens in association with breast cancer, though causality has not yet been established (Khanna et al 2012). This may seem irrelevant for men unless one considers the fact that breast cancer among men is actually on the rise.
Additionally, these chemicals may reduce male fertility. Butylparaben was shown in the lab to have an adverse effect on the male mouse reproductive system in that it damaged the late steps of spermatogenesis in the testis (Oishi 2002). Similar effects can be seen for other forms of parabens. They are also suspected of affecting the mitochondria in rat testes, reducing virility (Tavares et al 2008).
Male cyclists might want to look for anti-chafe chamois creams that do not contain parabens, such as creams containing lanolin, the oil in sheep’s wool. You can even make lanolin cream in your own home, following this recipe (but make sure the lanolin you use is high quality and pesticide free).
Alternatively, one can pay closer attention to the label on chamois cream to ensure that it does not contain parabens.
If you are a cyclist, know a cyclist, or love a cyclist, please share this with them.
By: Mana Sassanpour
Sources:
1. Antiandrogenic properties of parabens and other phenolic containing small molecules in personal care products. J. Chen, K.C. Ahn, N.A. Gee, S.J. Gee, B.D. Hammock, B.L. Lasley. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. Volume 221, Issue 3, 278–284, 2007.
2. Effects of propyl paraben on the male reproductive system. S. Oishi. Food and Chemical Toxicology. Volume 40, Issue 12, 1807 – 1815, 2002.
3. Estrogenic activity of cosmetic components in reporter cell lines: parabens, UV screens, and musks. E. Gomez, A. Pillon, H. Fenet, D. Rosain, M. J. Duchesne, J. C. Nicolas, P. Balaguer, C. Casellas. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A Vol. 68, Iss. 4, 2005.
4. Male breast carcinoma: increased awareness needed. J. White, O. Kearins, D. Dodwell, K. Horgan, A.M. Hanby, V. Speirs. Breast Cancer Research. Volume 13, Issue 5, 219, 2011.
5. Organ toxicity and mechanisms: effects of butyl paraben on the male reproductive system in mice. S. Oishi. Archives of Toxicology. Volume 76, Number 7, 423-429, 2002.
6. Parabens enable suspension growth of MCF-10A immortalized, non-transformed human breast epithelial cells. S Khanna and P.D. Darbre. Journal of Applied Toxicology. doi: 10.1002/jat.2753, 2012.
7. Parabens in male infertility—Is there a mitochondrial connection? R.S. Tavares, F.C. Martins, P.J. Oliveira, J. Ramalho-Santosa, F.P. Peixoto. Reproductive Toxicology. Volume 27, Issue 1, 1-7, 2009.
A switch to nature-based catalyst raises efficiency, reduces waste.
Thursday, August 23rd, 2012Largeron, M, and M-B Fleury. 2012. A biologically inspired Cu(I)/topaquinone-like co-catalytic system for the highly atom-economical aerobic oxidation of primary amines to imines. Angewandte Chemie http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.201200587.
A multistep process to produce intermediary chemicals for manufacturing can be done in one step with only three ingredients and little to no waste, report French chemists. Their method combines a starter catalyst with a small amount of copper and oxygen from the air to transform base compounds – called amines – into other chemical middlemen – known as imines. Manufacturers use imines extensively to produce products and drugs.
In comparison to current methods, the novel process is more efficient. It uses fewer chemicals, relies on safer chemicals, creates less waste and works under normal temperature and pressure. Additional studies will need to repeat and optimize the methods before they can be used on an industrial scale.
A major direction in the field of green chemistry is to develop ways to turn one chemical into another with no leftover atoms – and therefore little to no waste. This increases chemical efficiency. Calculating the number of atoms that go into the process and comparing them to what comes out in the end product is a way to measure chemical efficiency. These reactions – dubbed atom economy – strive to have the two equal each other.
Atom economy is a big shift away from the traditional processes that rely on additives known as activating reagents, which are added multiple times during a chemical synthesis to propel the reactions forward. Efficiency is reduced, since in each step, the activating reagent is not incorporated into the product and is lost as waste.
This is particularly troubling when producing pharmaceuticals where multiple steps are required to transform starting materials into commercial products. In these cases, activating groups increase chemical waste, since activation often requires an additional step in the overall sequence and frequently creates equal amounts of a byproduct.
Activating reagents are usually needed for oxidation reactions, which are particularly important in chemical production. During oxidation, hydrogen is removed from its parent molecule and is added to another. The process is chemically inefficient because it creates an equal amount of chemical waste for each molecule that is oxidized.
Researchers are looking to plants and animals for natural ways to improve efficiency during oxidation reactions. One way is to replace activating reagents with catalysts. Biological systems are extremely efficient and routinely use catalysts in reactions where the chemical industry uses activating reagents. Unlike activating reagents, catalysts can be used in very small quantities. This would dramatically reduce chemical waste, since small quantities of catalysts affect a reaction and they can be frequently recovered after a reaction.
In this study, researchers in France have accomplished this by replicating the activity of an important class of enzymes known as copper-containing amine oxidases (CuAOs). These enzymes control the concentration of nitrogen-containing molecules in numerous biological settings, including in people. The enzymes drive the oxidation of an amine to an imine. By carefully modulating the reaction conditions, the authors were able to produce a variety of imines from readily available starting materials under very mild conditions. Water was the only byproduct.
The authors note the reactions will need more tweaking before they can be used industrially. Nevertheless, the reaction conditions go a long way toward alleviating the typical waste associated with amine oxidation and provide a promising direction for future research.
The above work by Environmental Health News is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.environmentalhealthnews.org.
Tags: catalysts, greener process
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