Metabolomics: a tool to characterize the effect of phthalates and bisphenol A

The study of physiological disruptions induced upon exposure to a given chemical substance has emerged as a research field. The assessment of the effects of chemical substances at low concentration levels is not always doable using classical toxicological studies. The use of metabolomics approaches integrated with conventional toxicological studies is expected to provide valuable information for risk assessment. This review recapitulates some of the recent publications related to the use of metabolomics to study the effect of bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates exposure. Mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics approaches revealed the principal metabolic pathways such as amino acids, energy storage compounds, or organic osmolytes were altered. To investigate phthalates and BPA effects is relevant to assist in potential correlations between exposure and adverse human effects and to provide data and evidence for effective regulatory policies and risk exposure assessment.