Rajan et al Journal of Drug Delivery & Therapeutics; 2014, 4(1), 92-96 92 © 2011, JDDT. All Rights Reserved ISSN: 2250-1177 CODEN (USA): JDDTAO Available online at http://jddtonline.info REVIEW ARTICLE HOW SAFE ARE OUR BABIES? AN IN-SIGHT ON EFFECT OF BISPHENOL A (BPA) ON DEVELOPMENT Paul Vinu Salachan, Dadi Nitin Chandra Teja and Anand Prem Rajan* School of Bio Sciences & Technology, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu INTRODUCTION Anthropogenic compounds have displaced the natural compounds in our day to day life. The microorganisms have shown magnificent capacity to adapt to new and changing environment. 1,2 Humans and higher organisms are still struggling to find solution to these toxic compounds. 3 The natural compounds are not only environmental friendly but also provides long and healthy life. 4,5 The contemporaneous world man has moved from natural products to synthetic products which come with a prize to pay. WHO reported about the global trend, wherein babies are seldom breast fed by their lactating mothers. It is justified due to global shift from home makers to the working women. Social and work pressure on mothers makes it difficult for them to breast feed their newborns. The consequence of this results in bottle feeding. The question thus may arise “what’s wrong in bottle feeding?” other than depriving the child of essential antibodies present in colostrum. A Galaxy of compounds has been reported all over the world to be present in plastic bottles but the least studied compound is Bisphenol A. Our intensive literature search shows that there are very few published work available on effect of Bisphenol A on biotic system especially in developmental process. This paper is destined to reveal all the information on various facets of Bisphenol A and understand the metabolic mechanisms in the body during development. Chemical structure of Bisphenol A Bisphenol A which is commonly denoted as BPA is an organic compound which was first synthesized in 1891 by Aleksander Dianin, a Russian chemist. BPA has a chemical nomenclature of 2, 2 – bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane. The detrimental effects arise as BPA starts to leach from the bottle and enters into the diet of the baby. Although the effect of BPA in this case would be postnatal, more serious effects are seen in pre-natal exposure. 6 Post natal effects of BPA are manifested as change in neuro-behaviour, 7,8 cognitive skills and social behaviour, 9,10 underdeveloped reproductive system, 11-13 and deformed mammary glands. 14-18 The effects of BPA are agonistic to action of estrogens. It alters developmental processes by blocking or inducing different cell signalling in estrogen responsive and sensitive tissues even at a very low dose (exposure). The compound is capable of binding to the estrogen receptor -α and -β and induces estrogenic activity. 19 The significance of BPA was realized during the mid-1930s with the discovery of its ability to act as an agonist to estrogen in ovary ectomized (estrogen deficient) rats. The phenomena was discovery by two biochemists Edward Charles Dodds and William Lawson but failed to explain the mechanism hence tried to solve this mystery through their endocrinology background. Their discovery was of much importance, due to the fact that isolation of naturally occurring hormones was very difficult at that point of time; hormone which could agonise the estrogen can be easily duplicated hence it served as alternate source to natural hormones. This opened a new arena of extensive research on BPA which revealed severe developmental effects on the foetus. *For Correspondence Dr. Anand Prem Rajan, Ph.D, MBBS (Bio) Associate Professor, Coordinator of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space [SEDS], Proctor Coordinator for SBST Anti Ragging Coordinator for SBST, Division of Environmental Biotechnology School of Bio Sciences & Technology [SBST] Research Officer - Renewable Energy in CO2 & Green Technology VIT University, Vellore -632014. Tamil Nadu Mobile: 9486336444, Email; aprdbt@gmail.com ABSTRACT Globally anthropogenic materials have replaced natural materials. These substances which were industrially useful have proved to be highly deleterious in recent decade. One of these compound is Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used in almost all food cans and containers. This paper focus on little known aspects of BPA which is an endocrine disruptor on oogenesis, gene implants, embryo development, mammary glands, prostate ,testis urethra. Exposure to even small concentrations of BPA have shown severe impact on different stages of embryo development. The behaviour modifications as well as carcinogenic effects are also discussed based on the studies on various animal models. Keywords: Bisphenol A, Leaching, Endocrine disruptor, Development, Carcinogenicity.