Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and hormone-regulating enzymes in rat and human tissue
What it found
In lab tests on rat and human tissues, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) strongly blocked an enzyme called HSD11B2 that controls local stress hormones.
It did not block a related enzyme called HSD11B1.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Blocking HSD11B2 enzyme
BHA strongly blocked the HSD11B2 enzyme in lab tests. It took 13.99 µmol/l to half-block the rat enzyme and 69.25 µmol/l for the human one.
How BHA blocks HSD11B2
In tissue tests, BHA competed directly with the natural steroid to block HSD11B2. When tested against a helper molecule called NAD+, it blocked the enzyme in a mixed way.
No effect on HSD11B1
A concentration of 100 μmol/l of BHA caused no blocking effect on the HSD11B1 enzyme in either rat or human tissue tests.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that BHA selectively blocks the HSD11B2 enzyme.
- They suggest this could lead to too much stress hormone activity in local tissues like the kidney and placenta.
How it was done
Enzymes called HSD11B1 and HSD11B2 control the local levels of active stress hormones in the body. The authors wanted to see if BHA interferes with these enzymes.
The researchers tested BHA on HSD11B1 and HSD11B2 enzymes taken from rat and human tissues. They measured how much BHA was needed to block each enzyme and how it interacted with them.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are tests on isolated tissues in a lab. They cannot show what happens when someone eats food containing BHA.
- Lab tests on enzymes do not prove that BHA causes health problems in living people or animals.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, PR China
The paper
- Title
- Butylated Hydroxyanisole Potently Inhibits Rat and Human 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Li L, Wu Y, Wu X, et al (2016). Butylated Hydroxyanisole Potently Inhibits Rat and Human 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2. Pharmacology. doi:10.1159/000441034PubMed 26565409DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error