Evaluating Oral Glutathione Plus Ascorbic Acid, Alpha-lipoic Acid, and Zinc Aspartate as a Skin-lightening Agent: An Indonesian Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: NCT04105504. BACKGROUND: For Asians, especially women with darker skin tones (Fitzpatrick Skin Types IV and V), clear, bright skin is considered highly desirable, and various topical, oral, or injection-based cosmetic skin-lightening agents with different mechanisms of action are widely available across Asia. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the efficacy and safety of an oral glutathione supplement comprising L-glutathione (fermentation), ascorbic acid, alpha-lipoic acid, and zinc (as zinc aspartate) as a skin-lightening agent. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was carried out at three teaching hospital-based dermatovenereology clinics in Indonesia. Participants were randomized to receive either the glutathione supplement or placebo capsules and were evaluated every four weeks over a 12-week study period. Total reduction in spot ultraviolet, spot polarization, and skin tone were measured and recorded using a Janus Facial Analysis System® (PIE Co., Ltd, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea). RESULTS: Eighty-three participants, aged between 33 and 50 years, completed the study. Reductions in spot ultraviolet in certain subgroups, spot polarization, and skin tone were greater in the glutathione supplement group than in the placebo group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Both the glutathione supplement and placebo groups experienced only mild side effects in the first four weeks. CONCLUSION: The oral glutathione supplement was slightly beneficial for skin lightening in particular subgroups, but the results were not statistically significant. Mild and temporary side effects were reported. Further research is required to more fully evaluate the efficacy of this glutathione supplement as a skin-lightening agent.

Estudio tecnico y optimizacion en una planta de rectificacion de alcohol

En el desarrollo del proyecto de grado: "Estudio tecnico y optimizacion en una planta de rectificacion de alcohol" se ha satisfecho las hipotesis planteadas al inicio del trabajo que traducidas objetivamente se resumen en: Realizar un analisis del sector de bebidas espirituosas para tener el marco de referencia del rubro y definir el comportamiento futuro y las perspectivas inmediatas de este sector. Aplicar metodos de ingenieria industrial en la planta de rectificacion de alcohol, para poder realizar un detallado estudio tecnico de la misma. Enfocando dentro de este estudio los siguientes aspectos: La aplicacion de un sistema de control de calidad para las bebidas alcoholicas, introduciendo el diseno de hojas de control especificas para tal fin y definiendo una secuencia de actividades que permitan llevar a cabo en forma ordenada y sistematica el control de calidad en la planta. Para la ejecucion satisfactoria del sistema de control de calidad propuesto en el proyecto, se hace referencia al uso de pruebas quimicas y del cromatografo de gases que es un instrumento de alta precision, que permite identificar las caracteristicas de los alcoholes analizados. Un analisis tecnico de la torre de rectificacion de alcohol con el cual se ha terminado: el reflujo de operacion, el consumo de gas natural en el proceso, la potencia del caldero necesaria para la produccion de vapor saturado y las perdidas de calor en la columna de platos traducido en el costo.