Jordan Connolly

• BSc (Hons) Pharmacology
• The role of skin metabolism, UV irradiation and exposure to parabens in generation of reactive oxygen species

The experiments were an investigation into the rate of absorption and the potential skin enzyme metabolism of paraben compounds. Parabens are used in a large quantity of skincare products or as product preservatives. Parabens could possibly cause toxic compounds and reactive oxygen species to form. UV radiation experiments can be used to discern whether parabens potentiate cancer. Experiments used ex vivo porcine skin (application on pig skin) as a model of human skin. Parabens were radio-labelled and applied to skin. Then vials were produced for scintillation and solid phase extraction whereby the radioactivity can be measured. The results for absorption and metabolism showed different rates for different skin donors. Parabens were highly absorptive and were also metabolised by skin enzymes. No chemical or dose concentration effect was seen with data collected to show increase of reactive oxygen species or potentiation of cancer.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Supervisor: Dr Simon Wilkinson