Paraben

**Semantic type:** Chemical Viewed Functionally

**Definition:** An alkyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) that is used most often as a preservative in various personal care products. Parabens are active against a broad spectrum of microorganisms and exert their activity by disrupting the integrity of the cell membrane, causing leakage of intracellular proteins and interference with membrane transport processes, by inhibiting synthesis of DNA and RNA or by inhibiting the activity of certain enzymes, such as ATPases and phosphotransferases.

**Synonyms:** - Paraben Derivatives - Parabens - para-Hydroxybenzoic Acid Ester