Triclosan- Elucidating Its Pharmacological Properties And Impact Of Long Term Exposure On Environment

Triclosan was first introduced in the early 1970s and has been used increasingly over the past 25 years. Due to its potential to act as broad spectrum antimicrobial agent, it has been used as major ingredient in disinfectants, soap, detergent, toothpaste, mouthwash, fabric, deodorant, shampoo and innumerable other personal care, veterinary, industrial and household products. The main target of triclosan’s antimicrobial action is on bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. Triclosan causes cytoplasmic disorganization in the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane at bactericidal concentrations. In addition to its antimicrobial and anti-plaque effect, antiinflammatory properties of triclosan have also been reported. Because of unique mechanism of action, it has been also considered a potential chemotherapeutic candidate and also as an inhibitor against infectious diseases such as tuberculosis or malaria. Over last few decades, triclosan incorporated in daily use products have been used throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Excessive use of triclosan containing personal care products are subjected to release into environment through various pathways. Triclosan was one of the most frequently detected organic pollutants in both waste water and surface water. The safety, effectiveness and regulation of its usage have become a major concern as the detection limit in the environment is increasing at a continuous rate. Though triclosan is known to be biodegradable, however it has been detected at some levels in sewage water treated samples. Past research has shown triclosan can produce toxic effects such as cytotoxic, genotoxic, and endocrine disruptor effects in aquatic organisms including algae, fishes and crustaceans. Moreover, chemical properties of triclosan suggest its possible bioaccumulation and further environmental persistence. The hydrophobic nature of triclosan has also been responsible for its accumulation in fatty tissues of human samples. For past few years, triclosan is increasingly scrutinized after it emerged as a toxic environmental contaminant. Despite its pharmacological properties, occurrence and toxicity of triclosan have become major issues. In recent years, several studies have been Abstract: Triclosan is a multipurpose compound that has been used as major ingredient in most of the household products. It is found to be effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Besides being a broadspectrum anti-microbial agent, other pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory effects have also been reported. However, continuous exposure to increasing levels of triclosan has become a major concern for both public health and environment. Several studies revealed triclosan has become an emerging contaminant which may adversely affect the aquatic animals, human, wildlife and microbial communities. The occurrence of high triclosan levels in various environmental compartments has shown to produce cytotoxic, genotoxic, and endocrine disruptor effects in living organisms of both aquatic and terrestrial environments. In this review, we document physio-chemical properties of triclosan and summarize the current findings on pharmacological benefits from its usage. Considering triclosan induced environmental and health concerns, we have highlighted detrimental effects on different biological systems and emphasize on restrained use of triclosan containing products.