Next Article in Journal
Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Soil Heavy Metals from Long-Term Mining Activities: A Case Study of the Fengfeng Mining Area
Previous Article in Journal
Is Fluoride the Culprit? Revisiting Evidence on Environmental Origins of Chronic Kidney Disease of Uncertain Etiology (CKDu): A Narrative Review
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Toxics
Volume 13
Issue 11
10.3390/toxics13110968
toxics-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Genotoxic and Toxicopathological Responses to Ethylparaben in Plants: Potential Impacts to Crop Yields

by
Edson Araujo de Almeida
1,
Maria Eduarda Nardes Pinto
2,
Ana Elisa Maehashi
3,
Mateus Antônio Vicente Rodrigues
2,
Emily de Moura Galdino
2,
Diego Espirito Santo
4,
Carmem Lúcia Henrich
5,
Osvaldo Valarini Junior
6,
Gideã Taques Tractz
7,
Regiane da Silva Gonzalez
6,
C. A. Downs
8,* and
Ana Paula Peron
5,6,*
1
Postgraduate Program in Chemistry, Maringá State University, Maringá 87020-900, PR, Brazil
2
Environmental Engineering Course, Federal Technological University of Paraná, Campo Mourão 87301-899, PR, Brazil
3
Chemical Engineering Course, Federal Technological University of Paraná, Campo Mourão 87301-899, PR, Brazil
4
Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences, State University of Londrina, Londrina 86020-120, PR, Brazil
5
Postgraduate Program in Environmental Engineering, Federal Technological University of Paraná, Francisco Beltrão 85600-001, PR, Brazil
6
Postgraduate Program in Food Technology, Federal Technological University of Paraná, Campo Mourão 87301-899, PR, Brazil
7
National Network in Management and Regulation of Water Resources, Campo Mourão 87301-899, PR, Brazil
8
Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, P.O. Box 85, Gladstone, VA 24553, USA
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Toxics 2025, 13(11), 968; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13110968
Submission received: 12 October 2025 / Revised: 2 November 2025 / Accepted: 7 November 2025 / Published: 10 November 2025
Versions Notes

Abstract

Ethylparaben (EtP) is an emerging pollutant that is widely found in the environment, particularly in agricultural landscapes. With the extensive contamination of agricultural soils and irrigation waters, there is a rising concern about their potential impact on crop yields. To provide some of the first evidence that EtP may be more than just an agricultural contaminant, but a potential pollutant, we evaluated the systemic toxicities and cellular responses triggered by EtP in seed roots of Daucus carota, Lycopersicum esculentum, and Cucumis sativus, and in bulb roots of Allium cepa, at environmentally relevant concentrations of 1, 10, 100, and 1000 ng·L−1. The seeds and bulbs remained in contact with the concentrations for 7 days. Distilled water and Tween 80 at 1000 ng·L−1 were used as negative controls. The results were subjected to Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance followed by Dunn’s test (p ≤ 0.05). In all plants, all concentrations significantly altered the activity of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. In carrot (10, 100, and 1000 ng·L−1), tomato (1000 ng·L−1), and cucumber (all concentrations), such concentrations caused lipid peroxidation, leading to the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, as well as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals in the cells. These oxidants caused a delay in the progression of the cell cycle and alterations to the mitotic spindle in the root meristems, significantly inhibiting root growth in the plants evaluated. Recurrent contamination with EtP can potentially harm soil quality, posing a risk to both agricultural productivity and the environment.
Keywords: paraben; phytotoxicity; cytotoxicity; genotoxicity; aneugenic potential; oxidative stress; agricultural productivity; environment paraben; phytotoxicity; cytotoxicity; genotoxicity; aneugenic potential; oxidative stress; agricultural productivity; environment

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Almeida, E.A.d.; Pinto, M.E.N.; Maehashi, A.E.; Rodrigues, M.A.V.; Galdino, E.d.M.; Santo, D.E.; Henrich, C.L.; Junior, O.V.; Tractz, G.T.; Gonzalez, R.d.S.; et al. Genotoxic and Toxicopathological Responses to Ethylparaben in Plants: Potential Impacts to Crop Yields. Toxics 2025, 13, 968. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13110968

AMA Style

Almeida EAd, Pinto MEN, Maehashi AE, Rodrigues MAV, Galdino EdM, Santo DE, Henrich CL, Junior OV, Tractz GT, Gonzalez RdS, et al. Genotoxic and Toxicopathological Responses to Ethylparaben in Plants: Potential Impacts to Crop Yields. Toxics. 2025; 13(11):968. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13110968

Chicago/Turabian Style

Almeida, Edson Araujo de, Maria Eduarda Nardes Pinto, Ana Elisa Maehashi, Mateus Antônio Vicente Rodrigues, Emily de Moura Galdino, Diego Espirito Santo, Carmem Lúcia Henrich, Osvaldo Valarini Junior, Gideã Taques Tractz, Regiane da Silva Gonzalez, and et al. 2025. "Genotoxic and Toxicopathological Responses to Ethylparaben in Plants: Potential Impacts to Crop Yields" Toxics 13, no. 11: 968. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13110968

APA Style

Almeida, E. A. d., Pinto, M. E. N., Maehashi, A. E., Rodrigues, M. A. V., Galdino, E. d. M., Santo, D. E., Henrich, C. L., Junior, O. V., Tractz, G. T., Gonzalez, R. d. S., Downs, C. A., & Peron, A. P. (2025). Genotoxic and Toxicopathological Responses to Ethylparaben in Plants: Potential Impacts to Crop Yields. Toxics, 13(11), 968. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13110968

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop