Methylparaben

Methylparaben (methyl paraben) one of the parabens, is a preservative with the chemical formula CH3O2CC6H4OH. It is the methyl ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Several related esters are known (ethyl-, propyl-, butylparaben). Together they are the most common preservatives in cosmetics and foods. Among their advantages, parabens are inexpensive, colorless, stable, odorless, and readily biodegraded. Methylparaben serves as a pheromone for a variety of insects and is a component of queen mandibular pheromone. It is a pheromone in wolves produced during estrus associated with the behavior of alpha male wolves preventing other males from mounting females in heat. Methylparaben is an anti-fungal agent often used in a variety of cosmetics and personal-care products. It is also used as a food preservative and has the E number E218. Methylparaben is commonly used as a fungicide in Drosophila food media at 0.1%.