Gene expression and biochemical patterns in the digestive gland of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819) exposed to 17α-ethinylestradiol

•17 α-Ethinylestradiol (EE2) is the primary component in contraceptive pills and is commonly detected in marine environments•Biochemical and transcriptomic analyses were performed on the digestive gland of mussels after chronic exposure to EE2 at environmentally relevant concentrations•EE2 exposure altered metabolic capacity, antioxidant defenses and biotransformation activities. Genotoxicity was observed in form of DNA single strand-break•Dysregulation of gene/proteins involved in immune function, lipid transport and metabolism and antibacterial function was observed