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Effects of DEHP on post-embryonic development, nuclear receptor expression, metabolite and ecdysteroid concentrations of the moth Spodoptera littoralis
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DEHP, a chemical found in plastics, is known to mess with hormones in humans and animals, and this study shows it does the same in moths, disrupting the hormone signals that control their growth and transformation into adults. While this research was done in insects, it adds to growing evidence that phthalates like DEHP can interfere with hormone systems across very different species, reinforcing concerns about how these common plastic additives might affect human hormonal health, especially since DEHP is found in food packaging, personal care products, and household dust.
Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is recognized in vertebrates as an Endocrine Disrupting Chemical (EDC). DEHP can alter steroid hormones production, development, reproduction and behavior in vertebrates. Only few studies investigated DEHP effects on insects. However, some recent studies on aquatic insects showed that DEHP could also act as an EDC by interfering with the signaling pathways of ecdysteroids, the main hormones involved in the control of insect post-embryonic development and physiology. The aim of the study was to investigate (1) the fate of DEHP within a terrestrial insect species by exposing larvae to food containing a wide range of DEHP concentrations and (2) the effects of this chemical on their post-embryonic development and metamorphosis, by using a multi-level approach. DEHP was shown to be present both in larvae and resulting stages, with higher concentrations in chrysalises and adults than in larvae. DEHP concentrations also decreased at the end of the last larval instar, suggesting the metabolic transformation or excretion of this chemical during this time. Only the two highest DEHP doses induced higher insect mortality, whereas low and intermediate concentrations increased larval food consumption without affecting body weight. Metabolic profiles showed that in control insects, the last three days before metamorphosis correspond to a metabolic transition, but with time-dependent changes in treated insects. Interestingly, DEHP treatments also alter both hemolymphatic ecdysteroid titers and expression levels of ecdysteroid response genes. These results confirm that DEHP can alter insect post-embryonic development and metamorphosis, by interfering with ecdysteroid pathways.
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Effects of phthalate and bisphenol plasticizers on the activity of glycolytic enzymes of the moth Spodoptera littoralis
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Scientists fed caterpillars food laced with BPA and DEHP, common chemicals found in plastics, and found that these substances disrupted some of the insects' key energy-processing enzymes, likely causing cellular stress. While this study was done in moths, not humans, it adds to growing evidence that everyday plastic chemicals can interfere with how living things process energy at a cellular level, a concern given how widely BPA and phthalates show up in human food, water, and blood samples.
Reproductive Effects of Phthalates and Microplastics on Marine Mussels Based on Adverse Outcome Pathway
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Researchers found that microplastics and the chemical plasticizer DEHP that leaches from them work together to disrupt reproductive function in female mussels by interfering with estrogen signaling and reducing hormone levels. While this study focused on marine mussels, DEHP is a known endocrine disruptor in humans as well, and the findings illustrate how microplastics can release harmful chemicals that affect hormone systems.
Endocrine-disruptor endpoints in the ovary and thyroid of adult female rats exposed to realistic doses of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
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Female rats injected with daily doses of DEHP for 21 days showed disrupted ovarian follicle development and altered thyroid gland structure at doses within the range of human environmental exposure. The results provide experimental evidence that DEHP acts as an endocrine disruptor targeting both reproductive and thyroid hormonal axes in females.
The Impact of Endocrine Disruptions on Animal and Human Organism
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This review examines how endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including bisphenol A, phthalates, and micro- and nanoplastics, interfere with hormonal balance in animals and humans. Researchers describe how these substances interact with hormone receptors, induce epigenetic changes, and disrupt cell signaling pathways affecting reproduction, metabolism, and neurological function. The study highlights that nanoparticles, including microplastics, may amplify endocrine disruption and calls for more research into the molecular pathways involved.
Review of the effects of two major plastic compounds in arthropods: a call for increased interdisciplinarity and further studies at the population level
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This review synthesizes evidence that two ubiquitous plastic chemicals — DEHP and BPA — disrupt biological functions in arthropods including development, reproduction, and behavior, while identifying major research gaps around endocrine disruption mechanisms, epigenetics, microbiome interactions, and population-level impacts in these ecologically critical invertebrates.
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