[Studies on the chemical constituents of Chaenomeles speciosa]

OBJECTIVE

To study the chemical constituents of Chaenomeles speciosa.

METHODS

Isolation and purification were carried out by varied chromatographies, and structure identifications of compounds were carried out by physical methods, chemical methods and spectral data.

RESULTS

Seven compounds were obtained from the ethyl acetate fraction of C. speciosa, and were identified as cinnamic acid (I), 2'-methoxyaucuparin (II), 2-hydroxyl-butanedioic acid-4-methylester (III), esculetin (IV), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (V), chlorogenic acid (VI), caffeic acid (VII).

CONCLUSION

Compounds I - IV are obtained from Chaenomeles genus for the first time.

Accumulation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in hairy roots of Daucus carota 2: confirming biosynthetic steps through feeding of inhibitors and precursors

Biosynthesis of hydroxybenzoates even at enzymatic level is poorly understood. In this report, effect of feeding of putative biosynthetic precursors and pathway-specific enzyme inhibitors of early phenylpropanoid pathway on p-hydroxybenzoic acid accumulation in chitosan-elicited hairy roots of Daucus carota was studied. Three selective metabolic inhibitors of plant phenylpropanoid pathway, namely, aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA), piperonylic acid (PIP) and 3,4-methylenedioxycinnamic acid (MDCA), which are known to inhibit phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H) and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) respectively, the three early enzymes of phenylpropanoid metabolism, were chosen with the anticipation that selective inhibition of these enzymes in vivo may provide information on the metabolic route to p-hydroxybenzoic acid formation. Supplementation of AOAA (0.2-1.0 mM) and PIP (0.2-1.0 mM) resulted in the reduced accumulation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in the wall-bound fraction. However, addition of MDCA (0.2-1.25 mM), did not suppress p-hydroxybenzoic acid accumulation but suppressed lignin and total flavonoid accumulation, suggesting that 4CL enzyme activity is not required for p-hydroxybenzoic acid formation. Feeding of elicited hairy roots with phenylalanine, coumaric acid and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde had a stimulatory effect on p-hydroxybenzoic acid accumulation; however, maximum stimulatory effect was shown by p-hydroxybenzaldehyde. This suggests that p-hydroxybenzaldehyde might be the immediate precursor in p-hydroxybenzoic acid biosynthesis. Finally, in vitro conversion of p-coumaric acid to p-hydroxybenzoic acid with p-hydroxybenzaldehyde as intermediate using cell-free extract provided an unequivocal support for CoA-independent and non-beta-oxidative route of p-hydroxybenzoic acid biosynthesis in Daucus carota.

Transesterification ofp-hydroxybenzoate esters (parabens) by human intestinal (Caco-2) cells

p-Hydroxybenzoate ester (paraben) preservatives are used in numerous orally administered products. The recognized route of metabolism for parabens is hydrolysis to p-hydroxybenzoic acid followed by conjugation and excretion. However, in the presence of alcohols, a presystemic transesterification pathway not previously reported for the human intestine can occur. Using human intestinal (Caco-2) cells, it was observed that hydrolysis of parabens to p-hydroxybenzoic acid is reduced markedly by ethanol concentrations that can occur in the human intestine, 0.25-0.5% (v/v). Ethanol concentrations of 1.0-2.5% (v/v) were optimal for transesterification to ethylparaben in Caco-2 cell homogenates. The kinetics of the transesterification reaction with regard to ethanol concentration (0-20%), time, pH (3-9), protein concentration (1-5 mg ml-1) and substrate concentration (6.25-200 microM) as well as the effects of different alcohols were studied. The Km and Vmax values for transesterification with ethanol for methyl, propyl, butyl, heptyl and octyl parabens were 449.7, 165.7, 86.1, 24.2 and 45.9 microM and 114.4, 37.5, 19.5, 7.5 and 7.6 micromol h-1 mg-1 Caco-2 cell protein, respectively. The Vmax values for transesterification of methylparaben with ethanol, propan-1-ol, butan-1-ol were 114.4, 5.1 and 4.9 micromol h-1 mg-1, respectively. Collectively, the kinetic data demonstrate that the enzyme responsible for the transesterification reaction has a preference for short-chain esters and represents the first report of transesterification in human intestinal cells. An implication of this mechanism is that alcohol-containing in vitro biosystems or protocols for the study of parabens disposition could generate transesterified artefacts. The clinical or toxicological implication is that, following co-ingestion of ester compounds with ethanol, transesterification could provide the basis for a previously unrecognized drug-alcohol interaction.

[Studies on the chemical constituents of the fruit of Xylocarpus granatum]

OBJECTIVE

To study the chemical constituents of the fruit of Xylocarpus granatum.

METHODS

The chemical constituents were isolated by chromatographic methods and their structures were elucidated by NMR spectra and physicochemical properties.

RESULTS

Ten compounds were isolated from the fruit of Xylocarpus granatum and the structures of them were identified as spicatin (1), xyloccensin K(2), 6-acetoxycedrodorin (3), aurantiamide acetate (4), (+)-catechin (5), alpha-tocopherol (6), abscisic acid (7), daucosterol (8), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (9) and ethyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (10).

CONCLUSION

Compound 4 -10 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Reaction ofpara-hydroxybenzoic acid esters with singlet oxygen in the presence of glutathione produces glutathione conjugates of hydroquinone, potent inducers of oxidative stress

The determination and toxicological characterization of products of the reaction between p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters (parabens) and singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) are very important because of the frequent use of parabens in cosmetics and possible generation of (1)O(2) in the skin. We observed (1)O(2)-dependent production of mono-, di-, and tri-substituted glutathione (GSH) conjugates of hydroquinone (HQ) during visible light-irradiation of a mixture of methyl or ethyl paraben and GSH in the presence of rose bengal (RB). 1,4-Benzoquinone (BQ) and HQ were produced during the irradiation in the absence of GSH. While a mixture of BQ and GSH produced only mono-substituted conjugate, irradiation of the mixture with RB produced mono-, di-, and tri-substituted conjugates. These observations indicate that (1)O(2) is involved both in the production of BQ and HQ from parabens and in the formation of multi-substituted GSH conjugates from mono-substituted conjugate. Tri-substituted conjugate generated larger amounts of hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solution than mono-substituted conjugates or HQ did. Detection of semiquinone radical suggests that the autoxidation of conjugates is related to the generation of hydrogen peroxide. The results obtained in this study indicate that parabens may induce oxidative stress in the skin after conversion to GSH conjugates of HQ by reacting with (1)O(2) and GSH.

Structures of new phenolic glycosides from the seeds of Cucurbita moschata

A new phenolic glycoside and three known compounds were isolated from the seeds of Cucurbita moschata. The structures of the new compound was elucidated as phenylcarbinyl 5-O-(4-hydroxy)benzoyl-beta-D-apiofuranosyl (1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and chemical evidence. Three known compounds were identified as 1-O-benzyl[5-O-benzoyl-beta-D-apiofuranosyl(1-->2)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside 2, cucurbitosides C 3 and A 4, by comparison of the spectral data with reported data. Compound 2 was isolated from this plant for the first time.

Evaluation of estrogenic activity of parabens and their chlorinated derivatives by using the yeast two-hybrid assay and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

We assessed the estrogen agonist activities of 21 parabens and their chlorinated derivatives by using yeast two-hybrid assays incorporating either the human or medaka (Oryzias latipes) estrogen receptor alpha (hERalpha and medERalpha, respectively), and by using hERalpha competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ER-ELISA). In the two-hybrid assay with hERalpha, five parabens and three chlorinated derivatives exhibited estrogenic activity, and their relative activity (17beta-estradiol [E2] = 1) ranged from 2.0 x 10(-5) to 2.0 x 10(-4), with the highest activity observed in i-butylparaben. In the medERalpha assay, six parabens and six chlorinated derivatives exhibited estrogenic activity and their relative activity ranged from 2.7 x 10(-5) to 3.5 x 10(-3), with the highest activity observed in benzylparaben, its monochlorinated derivative, i-butylparaben, and n-butylparaben. Although medERalpha demonstrated an activity to E2 that was three times lower than that demonstrated by hERalpha, medERalpha has a higher sensitivity to parabens than hERa (1.3-8.9 times). Five parabens and two chlorinated derivatives exhibited a binding affinity to ERa in the ER-ELISA; of the parabens, i-butylparaben exhibited the strongest binding affinity. The yeast two-hybrid assay and the ER-ELISA also revealed that many of the assayed chlorinated parabens were much weaker than the parent compound. In addition, the results mainly showed that parabens with a bulk substituent (e.g., i-butyl and benzyl groups) had a higher activity than those with a sterically small substituent. It is considered that derivatization masks the apparent estrogenic activity of parabens, but the resulting chlorinated compounds may represent a potential hazard and therefore other toxicity tests should be performed to determine the toxicity of the chlorinated derivatives.

The Importance of the Cosolvent Propylene Glycol on the Antimicrobial Preservative Efficacy of a Pharmaceutical Formulation by DOE-Ruggedness Testing

The aim of this study was to statistically evaluate the influence of the concentration of the co-solvent propylene glycol on the preservative efficacy of a complex pharmaceutical suspension-emulsion formulation containing methyl- and propylparaben. Preservative Efficacy Tests (PETs) were performed using the validated pharmacopoeial methodology with five test organisms over 1 month on lab-scale test formulations. These were independently prepared according to a Box-Behnken experimental design with a triplicate central point at 0.22% m/m methylparaben, 0.22% m/m propylparaben, and 2.75% m/m propylene glycol, and with an additional corner point of the Box-Behnken cube. We evaluated the preservative efficacies against the criteria of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and European Pharmacopoeias (PhEur) for formulations for oral use, as well as by the statistical comparison of the slopes obtained by linear regression of log (CFU/g) vs. time. With an initial bacterial challenge of 10(6) CFU/g for each of the three bacterial strains, no survivals were detected after 7 days. For the two fungal strains, box plots and analysis of variance showed significant, concentration-dependent, main effects: the three variables significantly influenced the kill-rate of C. albicans, while A. niger was predominantly influenced by the cosolvent propylene glycol, and only to a minor extent by methylparaben and not at all by propylparaben. These findings were confirmed by taking the pharmacopoeial criteria as the evaluation basis, where the dominant influence of propylene glycol concentration is apparent. It was concluded that the cosolvent propylene glycol is at least of equal preservative importance than both parabens.

Solid-Phase Extraction and HPLC Analysis of Methylparaben and Propylparaben in a Concentrated Antibiotic Suspension

An accurate and precise solid-phase extraction coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (SPE/HPLC) method developed for the quantification of antimicrobial preservatives (methylparaben and propylparaben) in oxytetracycline injectable suspension is described in this article. The SPE technique was necessary to quantify the preservatives since the high concentration of the drug and excipients was masking low levels of preservatives, making quantification difficult. This developed HPLC method was stability-indicating and found to be linear between 1.3 to 2.4 mg/mL for methylparaben and 0.15 to 0.27 mg/mL for propylparaben in this concentrated antibiotic suspension formulation. The extraction recoveries were 98.8-101.6%. System precision and sample extraction precision (RSD) were less than 1%.

[Studies on chemical constituents of Dendrobium crystallinum]

OBJECTIVE

To study the chemical constituents of Dendobium crystallinum.

METHOD

Compounds were isolated and purified by silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Their structures were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral analyses.

RESULT

Nine compounds were obtained and identified as: 4, 4'-dihydroxy-3, 5-dimethoxybi-benzyl (1), gigantol (2), naringenin (3) , p-hydroxybenzoic acid (4), n-tetracosyl trans-p-cou-marate (5), n-octacosy trans-p-coumarate (6), n-hexacosyl trans-ferulate (7), stigmasterol (8), daucosterol (9).

CONCLUSION

All these compounds were obtained from this plant for the first time, compounds 1 and 4 were isolated firstly from the genus.

[Studies on the chemical constituents of Litsea lancifolia]

OBJECTIVE

To study the chemical constituents of Litsea lancifolia.

METHODS

AU compounds were isolated from the diethyl ether extract of the title herb by sillica gel column chromatogrphy, and their structures were identified by physical and chemical evidences and spectral methods.

RESULTS

Seven compounds were isolated and identified as (-)-aristortetralone (1), dehydrodiisoeugenol ( 2), dihydrodehydrodiconifery alcohol ( 3) , 5,7-dimethoxy-3', 4'-methylenedioxyflavan-3-ol (4), p-hydroxy-benzoic acid (5), vanillin(6), p-sitosterol (7), respectively.

CONCLUSION

All compounds are isolated from this plant for the first time.

[Secondary metabolites of a marine mangrove fungus (Penicillium sp. no. 2556) from South China Sea]

The metabolites of a marine mangrove fungus (Penicillium sp. No. 2556) were studied in this paper and six compounds were isolated from the fermentation liquid. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopy methods as Sch54796 (1), Sch54794 (2), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (3), urail (4), succinic acid (5), Vermopyrone (6). Among them, compounds 1, 2 and 6 were firstly isolated from Penicillium sp., Coumpounds 1 and 2 remarkably inhibited the growth of cancer cell lines hep2 and hepG2.

[Studies on chemical constituents from roots of Caragana sinica]

OBJECTIVE

To study the chemical constituents in roots of Caragana sinica.

METHOD

The constituents were isolated by silica gel column chromatography, and their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods.

RESULT

Seven compounds were identified as (+) - stenophyllol B (1), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (2), odoratin (3), resveratrol (4), cararosinol A (5), leachinol C (6), carasinaurone (7) respectively.

CONCLUSION

Compound 1 was a new compound which was the enantiomer of stenophyllol B. Compounds 2-6 were obtained from the plant for the first time.

[Study on chemical constituents isolated from Juncus effuses]

OBJECTIVE

To study the constituents isolated from Juncus effuses Linn..

METHODS

The compounds were isolated through chromatographic approaches, such as Silica gel. CC, Sephadex LH-20 and were identified by a combination of spectroscopic methods (UV, MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and NOE).

RESULTS

8 kinds of compounds were identified which included four flavonoids, luteolin (I), eriodictyol (II), 2', 5', 5, 7-tetrahydroxyflavone (III), glucoluteolin (IV); two aromatic compounds, methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (V), vanillic acid (VI); a fatty acid, hexadecanoic acid (I) and an alkane, n-Tetradecane (VIII).

CONCLUSION

Compound II, III, V, VI, VII, VIII were firstly isolated from this plant.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity studies of Si, Fe, Ti, Al and Ag films' prepared by magnetron sputtering

By magnetron sputtering we can make different kinds of metal or semiconductor films to study SERS-active substrate surface. Changing the conditions of magnetron sputtering can give the films of different surface shapes that we want. In this paper we gained the transitional metal films of Fe and Ti, the general metal films of Ag and Al, and the semiconductor films of Si. Then we use the atomic force microscope (AFM) to get the top view pictures of the films. And we also study the SERS mechanism of different films by dropping p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) solution on them. By this method we find a kind of nearly unearthly SERS-active substrate.

Effect of abrasion induced by a rotating brush on the skin permeation of solutes with varying physicochemical properties

A transient reduction in the barrier nature of the skin can be a pre-requisite for successful (trans)dermal delivery of some drugs. The aim of this present study was to investigate and effect of a dermal abrading "rotating brush" device on percutaneous absorption and skin integrity. In vitro experiments were conducted using excised human epidermal membrane. The effect of device parameters (bristle type, treatment duration and applied pressure) on skin permeability of model solutes (methyl paraben, butyl paraben, caffeine, acyclovir and angiotensin II) with varying physicochemical properties was examined and compared to established methods of skin penetration enhancement (positive controls). The device parameter which was found to have the most marked effect on permeability of the compounds was bristle type. Profound changes (2- to 100-fold increase) were observed in the epidermal permeability of the hydrophilic penetrants (caffeine, acyclovir and angiotensin II), when the brush device was employed compared to positive controls (ethanol enhancement, delipidisation, iontophoresis and tape-stripping). Findings from this present study support the effectiveness of a rotating brush applied to the skin in enhancing epidermal permeability. Further optimization of operational parameters is required to exploit this simple and effective delivery device.

Narrow-line waveguide terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of aspirin and aspirin precursors

Low frequency vibrational modes of pharmaceutical molecules are dependent on the molecule as a whole and can be used for identification purposes. However, conventional Fourier transform far-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) often result in broad, overlapping features that are difficult to distinguish. The technique of waveguide THz-TDS has been recently developed, resulting in sharper spectral features. Waveguide THz-TDS consists of forming an ordered polycrystalline film on a metal plate and incorporating that plate in a parallel-plate waveguide, where the film is probed by THz radiation. The planar order of the film on the metal surface strongly reduces the inhomogeneous broadening, while cooling the waveguide to 77 K reduces the homogeneous broadening. This combination results in sharper absorption lines associated with the vibrational modes of the molecule. Here, this technique has been demonstrated with aspirin and its precursors, benzoic acid and salicylic acid, as well as the salicylic acid isomers 3- and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. Linewidths as narrow as 20 GHz have been observed, rivaling single crystal measurements.

Parabens toxicity to skin and other organs

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Influence of crystal structure on the tableting properties of n‐alkyl 4‐hydroxybenzoate esters (parabens)

Certain crystallographic features, such as the existence of slip planes, can greatly facilitate the ability of crystals to deform plastically. An investigation of the relationship between the slip planes and the tableting performance of the crystals of methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, and n-butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (parabens) was conducted. The absence of slip planes in methyl paraben crystal structure results in significantly poorer tableting performance than the other three parabens. While slip planes are present in the crystal structures of ethyl, propyl, and butyl parabens, they exhibited different plasticity as confirmed by crystal free volume analysis, crystal nano-indentation hardness, and Heckel analysis. Sieved fraction, 150-250 microm, of each paraben powder was compressed into tablets under different conditions. Tablet tensile strength, porosity, and Indices of tableting performance (ITP) were obtained. Under the same compaction pressure, tablet tensile strength was higher for crystals with higher plasticity. Tableting performance, assessed using the ITP, also improved with increasing crystal plasticity. The results confirm that high levels of plasticity, which can result from the presence of slip planes in crystal lattice, plays a critical role in the formation of strong and intact tablets by means of powder compaction.

Supramolecular synthon polymorphism in 2 : 1 co-crystal of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine

Co-crystals of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine (2 : 1) exhibit the first supramolecular synthon polymorphism in a co-crystal; metastable anti-hierarchic polymorph I converts to stable hierarchic form II.

A Systematic and Comprehensive Combinatorial Approach to Simultaneously Improve the Activity, Reaction Specificity, and Thermal Stability of p-Hydroxybenzoate Hydroxylase

We have simultaneously improved the activity, reaction specificity, and thermal stability of p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase by means of systematic and comprehensive combinatorial mutagenesis starting from available single mutations. Introduction of random mutations at the positions of four cysteine and eight methionine residues provided 216 single mutants as stably expressed forms in Escherichia coli host cells. Four characteristics, hydroxylase activity toward p-hydroxybenzoate (main activity), protocatechuate-dependent NADPH oxidase activity (sub-activity), ratio of sub-activity to main activity (reaction specificity), and thermal stability, of the purified mutants were determined. To improve the above characteristics for diagnostic use of the enzyme, 11 single mutations (C152V, C211I, C332A, M52V, M52Q, M110L, M110I, M213G, M213L, M276Q, and M349A) were selected for further combinatorial mutagenesis. All possible combinations of the mutations provided 18 variants with double mutations and further combinatorial mutagenesis provided 6 variants with triple mutations and 9 variants with quadruple mutations with the simultaneously improved four properties.

The study of resonance Raman scattering spectrum on the surface of Cu nanoparticles with ultraviolet excitation and density functional theory

Cu colloid was prepared by oxidation-reduction; it was relatively steady in fixed conditions, with size about 10-30 nm. The Raman spectrum of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) in Cu colloid solution with the ultraviolet (UV) excitation at 325 nm, was obtained, even it is usually difficult to obtain Raman signals in Ag or Au in the UV region. It was found that the Raman signal intensities result from the resonance enhanced of surface plasmon resonance of Cu nanoparticles excited at 325 nm. The adsorption behavior of PHBA on the Cu nanoparticles was studied by combining with density functional theory (DFT); it was found that the calculated Raman frequencies were in good agreement with experimental value. So one can conclude that the simplified model is probably reasonable to describe some resonance Raman experiments.

[Non-saponins from Solanum nigrum L]

OBJECTIVE

Chemical constituents of the non-saponins from Solonum nigrum L. were studied.

METHODS

The separation was performed on the silic gel CC, Sephadex-LH20 CC as well as preparative HPLC. The constituents were isolated and identified by spectral methods.

RESULTS

Five compounds isolated from 60% ethanol extract werre identified as 6-methoy-hydroxycoumarin (I), syringaresinol-4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (II), pinoresinol-4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (III), 3, 4-dihydroxhbenzoic acid (IV), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (V), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyienzoic acid (VI), adenosine (VII).

CONCLUSION

II, III, and VII were isolated from this genus for the first time.

Kinetic modeling of the oxidation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid by Fenton's reagent: implications of the role of quinones in the redox cycling of iron

As Fenton (and Fenton-like) chemistry is increasingly implicated in a variety of areas and applications, an understanding of the mechanism and rates governing the system becomes relevant for a growing number of disciplines and purposes. In this work a kinetic model capable of describing species concentrations measured experimentally during the Fenton-mediated oxidation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA) is presented and discussed. Experiments were conducted in the dark at low pH using reagent and substrate concentrations ranging from 100 microM to 2 mM. Analysis of the experimental and modeling results reveals that redox reactions between Fe and quinone or quinone-like compounds are essential for the model to qualitatively predict species concentration profiles observed in the laboratory. The quinone and quinone-like compounds generated as byproducts during the oxidation of pHBA act as reducing agents toward Fe(III), thereby assisting the redox cycling of Fe and increasing degradation of the target substrate. The experimental and kinetic modeling results presented highlight the role quinones play in the catalytic redox cycling of iron and the overall effect on the oxidative treatment performance of the system.

Simultaneous determination of seven phthalates and four parabens in cosmetic products using HPLC-DAD and GC-MS methods

Studies on the determination of seven kinds of phthalates, i.e. diethyl phthalate, dipropyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and dioctyl phthalate, and four parabens, i.e. methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben, in 15 kinds of cosmetic products, including hair sprays, perfumes, deodorants, cream, lotion, etc., by HPLC with diode array detection and GC-MS in electron impact ionization mode with selected-ion monitoring have been carried out. Methods have been developed for both qualitative and quantitative detection of phthalates and parabens. Extraction, clean-up, and analysis procedures have been optimized. HPLC and GC-MS determinations were performed after sonication-assisted extraction with methanol and clean-up with C18 SPE. These techniques permit detection of phthalates at a level of 10.0-100.0 microg/kg and of parabens at a level of 20.0-200.0 microg/kg. Overall recoveries were 85-108% with RSD values of 4.2-8.8%. Only one of the 15 examined samples was free from phthalates and parabens. The remaining 14 samples were found to contain at least three or more of these phthalates and/or parabens. The predominant phthalates and parabens detected in the studied samples were methylparaben, propylparaben, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate. The residue level is at 1.22-5289 mg/kg.