Evolution of the use of antioxidants in anti-ageing cosmetics.

OBJECTIVE: Skin health and beauty are a cornerstone of general well-being in humans. Anti-ageing cosmetics are used to provide a healthy and youthful appearance. Among the different cosmetic actives, antioxidants are incorporated in anti-ageing products due to their beneficial effects in preventing and minimizing the signs of skin ageing. This work aims to understand how anti-ageing formulations changed in the past 7 years regarding pure antioxidants composition. METHODS: Data were collected from anti-ageing formulations commercialized in main stores and pharmacies in the Portuguese market. The study started on 2011 and was updated with products launched or whose composition has been renewed on 2013, 2015 or 2018. RESULTS: Ascorbic acid and tocopherol and their derivatives were consistently the most used antioxidants in anti-ageing formulations; followed by niacinamide and retinyl palmitate. Seven ascorbic acid derivatives are currently used in anti-ageing formulations while only three tocopherol derivatives were identified in this study. Several combinations of antioxidants were routinely found, mainly tocopherol (or tocopherol derivatives) with other antioxidants and tocopherol with tocopherol derivatives. We have not identified emerging antioxidants with great impact in anti-ageing formulations even though niacinamide and retinyl palmitate exhibited over 10% more usage in 2018. CONCLUSION: This insight is relevant to the cosmetic industry providing a better understanding of the scientific-based formulation of modern cosmetics and supports the need for innovative antioxidants in anti-ageing cosmetics.

OBJECTIF: La santé de la peau et la beauté constituent la base du bien-être général chez l'homme. Les cosmétiques anti-âge sont utilisés pour donner une apparence saine et jeune. Parmi les différents principes actifs des cosmétiques, des antioxydants sont incorporées dans les produits anti-âge en raison de leur effet bénéfique sur la prévention et la réduction des signes de vieillissement de la peau. Ce travail vise à comprendre comment les formulations anti-âge ont évolué au cours des 7 dernières années au niveau des antioxydants purs composition. MÉTHODES: Les données ont été recueillies sur des formulations anti-âge commercialisées dans les principaux magasins et pharmacies du marché portugais. Cette étude a commencé en 2011 et a été mise à jour avec des produits mis sur le marché ou dont la composition a été renouvelée en 2013, 2015 ou 2018. RÉSULTATS: L'acide ascorbique et tocophérol et leurs dérivés sont systématiquement les antioxydants les plus utilisés dans les formulations anti-âge; ils sont suivis de la niacinamide et du palmitate de rétinol. Sept dérivés d'acide ascorbique sont actuellement utilisés pour lutter contre le vieillissement, tandis que seulement trois dérivés de tocophérol ont été identifiés dans cette étude. Plusieurs combinaisons d'antioxydants ont été systématiquement observées, principalement le tocophérol ou les dérivés de tocophérol avec d'autres antioxydants, et le tocophérol avec des dérivés de tocophérol. Nous n'avons pas identifié de nouveaux antioxydants présentant un impact majeur dans les formulations anti-âge, même si la niacinamide et le palmitate de rétinol ont vu leur utilisation augmenter de 10% en 2018. CONCLUSION: Cette perspective est pertinente pour le secteur des cosmétiques. Elle permet de mieux comprendre la formulation scientifique des cosmétiques modernes et confirme le besoin d'innover au niveau des antioxydants utilisés dans les produits anti-âge. Les cosmétiques anti-âge sont utilisés pour donner une apparence saine et jeune. Parmi les différents actifs cosmétiques, les antioxydants sont incorporés dans les produits anti-âge en raison de leurs effets bénéfiques dans la prévention et la réduction des signes du vieillissement cutané. Ce travail vise à comprendre comment les formulations anti - vieillissement ont changé au cours des 7 dernières années en ce qui concerne la composition en antioxydants purs.

Molecular self-organization in cylindrical nanocavities.

We studied molecular organization in cylindrical nanocavities using liquid crystals. NMR analysis shows high surface-induced ordering way above the bulk critical temperature. The surface-order evolution reveals replacement of the isotropic phase by a paranematic phase and surface-induced disordering in the nematic phase. Due to strong surface potential and nanoconfinement, complete wetting and continuous evolution of the surface-order parameter are observed through the nematic-paranematic transition. As we show, the counter-intuitive absence of complete phase transition at the interface while an abrupt phase transition was measured in the averaged order parameter is in good agreement with established theories.

Synthesis of xanthones: an overview.

Among the known synthetic routes to obtain xanthones, the Grover, Shah, and Shah reaction, the cyclodehydration of 2, 2'-dihydroxybenzophenones and electrophilic cycloacylation of 2-aryloxybenzoic acids are the most popular methods. Due to important biological applications of xanthones, some synthetic strategies leading to more complex derivatives have been widely explored in the past years. Thus, the purpose of this review is to report some recent improvements of the classical synthetic methods as well as of some non-classical methods to obtain simple oxygenated xanthones. The strategies for introduction of substituents into the xanthonic nucleus are also summarized. Furthermore, different approaches used to synthesize complex structures, with an emphasis on the total synthesis of bioactive natural products, accomplished in the last twenty years, are also discussed. Besides the synthesis of xanthones, the reactivity of the xanthonic nucleus and its role as a key intermediate for the synthesis of other important classes of compounds are also highlighted.

Xanthone derivatives: new insights in biological activities.

Xanthones or xanthen-9H-ones (dibenzo-gamma-pirone) comprise an important class of oxygenated heterocycles whose role is well-known in Medicinal Chemistry. The biological activities of this class of compounds are associated with their tricyclic scaffold but vary depending on the nature and/or position of the different substituents. In this review, an array of biological/pharmacological effects is presented for both natural and synthetic xanthone derivatives, with an emphasis on some significant studies on structure-activity relationships. The antitumor activity of some xanthones as well as the related targets, particularly PKC modulation studies, is also discussed in detail. Examples of the "hit" compounds involved in cancer therapy, namely DMXAA, psorospermin, mangiferin, norathyriol, mangostins, and AH6809, a prostanoid receptor antagonist, are also mentioned. Finally, a historical perspective of these xanthonic derivatives, their relevance as therapeutic agents and/or their uses as pharmacological tools and as extract components in folk medicine are also highlighted.

Structural transitions in holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystals.

Dynamic light scattering was used to analyze the structural and dynamic properties of nematic director field within liquid crystal domains formed in holographic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal transmission gratings. Samples prepared from two different types of prepolymer mixture: one curable with visible (VIS) and another curable with UV light were investigated. In both formulations a critical slowing down of thermal director fluctuations, signifying the second-order structural transition of the nematic director field was observed in the vicinity of some critical external electric field as well as close to some critical temperature. For VIS samples also the size and the shape of phase separated droplets and viscoelastic and surface anchoring parameters of the liquid crystalline (LC) material forming the droplets were deduced. The viscoelastic constants were found to significantly deviate from the viscoelastic parameters of the pure LC mixture.

Naturally occurring 1,2,8-trimethoxyxanthone and biphenyl ether intermediates leading to 1,2-dimethoxyxanthone.

In order to study structure-activity relationships, a series of mono-, di- and trioxygenated xanthones has been synthesized and the structures of methyl 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenoxy)benzoate, C(16)H(16)O(5), 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenoxy)benzoic acid, C(15)H(14)O(5), 1,2-dimethoxy-9H-xanthen-9-one, C(15)H(12)O(4), and 1,2,8-trimethoxy-9H-xanthen-9-one, C(16)H(14)O(5), have been determined. The first two compounds both assume skew conformations, the dihedral angles between the two phenyl rings being 80.04 (8) and 83.0 (1) degrees, respectively. The latter two compounds are essentially planar and their methoxy substituents assume orientations consistent with minimum steric interactions.

[American cutaneous leishmaniasis in the sugar cane-producing area of Pernambuco, North-East Brazil]. / La leishmaniose tégumentaire américaine dans la région sucrière du Pernambouc, Nord-Est du Brésil.

The cases of American cutaneous leishmaniasis reported here were observed between 1995 and 1998 in outpatients at a health clinic in the sugar cane-producing region in the south of Pernambuco State (Brazil), in which the disease is known to be endemic. Two hundred thirty eight cases were reported, equivalent to about ten cases per thousand patients. The disease affected patients of all ages, with a slight male predominance. The lesions were generally single and located on the legs. They were successfully treated with Glucantime. Vectors of the disease, sandflies of the genus Lutzomyia, were captured in and around homes, particularly in stables. This field work demonstrates the extent of a long-standing endemic that can be effectively treated within motivated health structures.

Umbilical cord blood processing with the Optipress II blood extractor.

BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that UC blood (UCB) units can be volume-reduced manually, in a closed system, without major losses of nucleated and CD34(+) cells and without the addition of exogenous material. Our aim was to use an automated method for the separation of the UCB components using the Optipress II, extractor, with the 'buffy-coat' collection in a standardized volume. METHODS: After centrifugation, the 51 UCB units were separated into the three blood components, plasma, buffy coat (BC) and red cells, using the Optipress II. The final volume of the BC fraction, rich in nucleated and progenitor CD34(+) cells, was set at 30 mL. The nucleated and CD34(+) cell content of the UCB collections and the resulting BC were evaluated. RESULTS: The UCB units were grouped according to the volume collected: Group I < 80 mL and Group II > or = 80 mL. Standardization of the BC at 30 mL resulted in significant volume reduction for both groups, with median values of 51% in Group I and 70% in Group II. The nucleated and CD34(+) cell recoveries in the BC from Group I were 88% and 99% respectively; for Group II they were 80% and 97%. DISCUSSION: This semi-automated method of volume reduction efficiently reduces low, as well as high volume UCB units, with good nucleated- and progenitor-cell yields. Being a closed system and free of external material, the risk of contamination is minimized. The resulting fractions are then available for validation studies of the unit, effectively fulfilling the main requisites for UCB banking.

Single- versus dual-platform assays for human CD34+ cell enumeration.

We comparatively assessed CD34+ cell quantification by two of the recently available single platform assays, the IMAGN 2000 STELLer (Immucor, Lisbon, Portugal) microvolume fluorimetry and the ProCOUNT (BD-ENZIfarma, Lisbon, Portugal) flow cytometry, with our "in-house" dual-platform flow cytometric assay. The performance of the methods was evaluated by linearity and reproducibility tests. The linearity study, over a range of 0-1,200 CD34+ cell/microl, gave a good linear relationship for the three methods, with R(2) > 0.99. Precision tested at three different concentrations gave coefficients of variation ranging from 3.6-26.4% for the STELLertrade mark, 2.4-13.8% for the ProCOUNT, and 3.2-6.4% for flow cytometry. CD34+ cells were quantified in umbilical cord blood (UCB), UCB enriched-leukocyte buffy-coat (BC), mobilized peripheral blood (PB) and mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) collected by leucapheresis, from a total of 72 samples. Flow cytometric results showed good linear correlation to the absolute counts obtained by the STELLer and ProCOUNT for all samples (R > 0.90 for all methods), with no differences when compared by paired tests (P > 0.05). Linear correlations between methods were also found when individually looking at the different cell sources: UCB or PB, BC, and PBPC, with low, intermediate and high CD34+ cell concentrations, respectively. Furthermore, with the exception of a significant difference between the ProCOUNT and STELLer results for UCB (P < 0.05), no other difference between methods was found for each of the individual populations (P > 0.05). To our knowledge, this is the first report in which the results are presented and analyzed according to each source of CD34+ cells. Our results show that the STELLer and the ProCOUNT are equally efficient for the dual-platform flow cytometric assay in CD34+ cell quantification.

Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry of fine needle aspirates in the diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders: A retrospective study.

In order to determine the value of flow cytometric (FCM) immunophenotyping of fine-needle aspirates (FNA) in the diagnosis and classification of lymphoproliferative diseases, 61 tissue samples were studied and compared with the cytologic/histological results. In vivo and ex vivo FNA biopsy yielded the material for FCM, which comprised an extensive number of lymphoid cell markers. In all but three cases sufficient cells were collected. Overall, malignancy was diagnosed in 33 cases from a total of 47 (70.2%), and in the remaining cases malignancy was not detected. Eleven cases were correctly diagnosed as reactive processes (11/11). There were no false positive cases of malignancy, as diagnosed by FCM-FNA. The best accuracy was achieved in the low-grade B-cell lymphomas and lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia. We conclude that in a significant number of cases, FCM-FNA permits the separation between lymphoid malignancies and reactive processes without false positive results. It was found to be particularly useful in the differential diagnosis of mantle-cell and small-lymphocytic lymphoma and in the identification of lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia.

Analysis of surface markers on CD34+ cells, isolated from cord blood and G-CSF primed peripheral blood.

We report a comparative study of the expression of multilineage and adhesion molecules on CD34+ cells isolated from human umbilical cord blood (CB) and G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) from healthy volunteers. The major difference found between the two sources of CD34+ populations was the expression of CD54 molecule, which was higher in CB in comparison to PBPC.

Umbilical cord blood processing: volume reduction and recovery of CD34+ cells.

One of the main problems for the establishment of umbilical cord blood (UCB) banks is the storage space needed for the frozen samples. The aim of this study was to find a method of reducing the volume of UCB units without major losses of the haematopoietic progenitor-CD34+ cells. The UCB was collected into a triple blood bag system, in which the anti-coagulant had been previously adjusted. The blood bag was first centrifuged for red cell depletion followed by a second centrifugation for plasma reduction. At this point, the main bag containing the white blood cell (WBC) rich fraction "buffy coat' (BC) and the "waste bag' were sealed and detached. Haematologic cell counts and CD34+ cell quantification were done in whole blood and in the isolated fractions. The average volume of the 19 UCB samples processed was 103 ml. Separation by centrifugation led to a mean volume reduction of 56% with red cell depletion of 59%. The white blood cell recovery was of 72% with a significant CD34+ cell recovery of 87%. This seems a promising method for cord blood volume reduction and enrichment of CD34+ cells.

Chronic administration of estradiol produces a triphasic effect on serum concentrations of gonadotropins and messenger ribonucleic acid for gonadotropin subunits, but not on pituitary content of gonadotropins, in ovariectomized ewes.

To determine the acute and chronic effects of estradiol on synthesis and secretion of LH and FSH, ovariectomized ewes were administered estradiol via silastic capsules for 0 h, 12 h, 1 day, 2 days, 4 days, 8 days, 16 days, or 32 days (n = 5/group). Concentrations of GnRH in the median eminence began to decrease within 12 h and were lower (p less than 0.05) than in control ewes from 1 to 4 days after estradiol administration was begun. Serum concentrations of LH were decreased relative to pretreatment control levels from 1 to 10 h, elevated during a preovulatory-like surge from 11 to 22 h, and then decreased and remained below 1 ng/ml for the duration of the experiment. Serum concentrations of FSH followed a pattern similar to those for LH except that the magnitude of change was smaller. Treatment with estradiol initially (12 h) reduced (p less than 0.05) quantities of mRNA for alpha-, LH beta-, and FSH beta-subunits, after which the quantities of mRNA for the subunits returned to near or above control levels by Day 2. After 8 days of treatment the amounts of mRNAs for gonadotropin subunits were again less (p less than 0.05) than those of controls, and they remained suppressed through Day 32. Pituitary concentrations of LH and FSH decreased (p less than 0.05) during the first day of treatment and remained suppressed for the duration of the experiment. Thus, estradiol had a triphasic effect on secretion of gonadotropins and steady-state levels of mRNA for the gonadotropin subunits, but not on pituitary content of gonadotropins.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Serum concentrations of thyroxine and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine in dogs before and after administration of freshly reconstituted or previously frozen thyrotropin-releasing hormone.

Concentrations of serum thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) were determined after the administration of freshly reconstituted thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), reconstituted TRH that had been previously frozen, or thyrotropin (TSH) to 10 mature dogs (6 Greyhounds and 4 mixed-breed dogs). Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (0.1 mg/kg) or TSH (5 U/dog) was administered IV; venous blood samples were collected before and 6 hours after administration of TRH or TSH. Concentrations of the T4 and T3 were similar (P greater than 0.05) in serum after administration of freshly reconstituted or previously frozen TRH, indicating that TRH can be frozen at -20 C for at least 1 week without a loss in potency. Concentrations of T4, but not T3, were higher after the administration of TSH than they were after the administration of TRH (P less than 0.01). Concentrations of T4 increased at least 3-fold in all 10 dogs given TSH, whereas a 3-fold increase occurred in 7 of 10 dogs given freshly reconstituted or previously frozen TRH. Concentrations of T4 did not double in 1 dog given freshly reconstituted TRH and in 1 dog given previously frozen TRH. Concentrations of T3 doubled in 5 of 10, 2 of 10, and 5 of 10 dogs given TSH, freshly reconstituted TRH, or previously frozen TRH, respectively. Results suggested that concentrations of serum T4 are higher 6 hours after the administration of TSH than after administration of TRH, using dosage regimens of 5 U of TSH/dog or 0.1 mg of TRH/kg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)