Isolation of Phthalates and Terephthalates from Plant Material – Natural Products or Contaminants?

Dialkyl phthalates have been used as plasticizers in polymers for decades. As mobile, small weight molecules, phthalates have entered the environment, where they have become ubiquitous. On the other hand, phthalates continue to be isolated from natural sources, plants, bacteria and fungi as bona fide natural products. Here, doubt remains as to whether the phthalates represent actual natural products or whether they should all be seen as contaminants of anthropogenic origin. The following article will review the material as presented in the literature.