Evaluation of Epidermal Growth Factor-Incorporating Skin Care Product in Culture Experiment Using Human Fibroblasts

This study aimed to investigate the potential of a skin care product composed of hyaluronic acid (HA) and collagen (Col) sponge containing epidermal growth factor (EGF), vitamin C derivative (VC), glucosylceramide (GC), poly(γ-glutamic acid) (PGA), and argentine (Arg). High-molecular weight HA aqueous solution, hydrolyzed low-molecular weight HA aqueous solution, and heat- denatured Col aqueous solution were mixed, into which each aqueous solution containing EGF, VC, GC, PGA, or Arg were added, followed by freeze-drying to obtain a spongy EGF-incorporating skin care product (EGF-skin care product). In order to evaluate the first efficacy of EGF, fibroblast proliferation was assessed after 6 days of cultivation in the conditioned medium prepared by dissolving EGF-skin care product in a conventional culture medium. The fibroblast densities increased more effectively in conditioned medium with EGF than in control medium without EGF. In order to evaluate the second efficacy of EGF, the amount of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) produced by fibroblasts were assessed in a wound surface model. A fibroblast-incorporating Col gel sheet (cultured dermal substitute: CDS) was elevated to the air- medium interface, onto which a spongy sheet of EGF-skin care product was placed and cultured for 7 days. The condition covered with or without EGF-skin care product is divided into (+) EGF or (-) EGF, respectively. Fibroblasts in the CDS released 3.7 times more VEGF and 25 times more HGF in (+) EGF compared with (-) EGF. In another experiment, an aqueous solution of EGF-skin care product was added onto CDS and cultured for 7 days. Aqueous solutions were prepared and stored at 4°C or 37°C for a different period of 1 day, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks, respectively. Fibroblasts in CDS under different condition released similar amount of VEGF and HGF. This result indicated that the efficacy of EGF was maintained even after preservation at 37°C for 4 weeks. These findings suggest that EGF-skin care product can be used on damaged skin surface by placing its spongy sheet or its solution.

Jinhehuan Health and Skin Care Product

Jinhehuan (sponge tree) is a kind of rare plant growing on the Tianshan mountain in the Xinjiang region of China, the red pigment of which is good for cooling and activating the blood, having antipyretic, detoxified, antibacterial and antiphlogistic functions. Experts at the Research Institute of Phytology under the Academia Sinica have found that this kind of pigment has a strong

Current Situation and Trend of the Technology Development of China’s Oral Care Products

This paper details the latest situation and features of the technology development in terms of China’s oral care products industry and proposes the following development direction in this sector. Meanwhile, the paper analyzes the popular products in the international market of oral care products and also predicts the trend of the product future in China’s market.

Understanding the Characteristics of the Scalp for Developing Scalp Care Products

With the exception of conditions such as dandruff, interest in the scalp is relatively low. However, when we consider the scalp as part of the skin, interesting observations can be made. The average amount of sebum secretion in the scalp varies depending on sex. Several studies show differences in scalp characteristics among races, but in some cases, these are difficult to find. The scalp has a weaker barrier function than does facial skin. The reason for the weak barrier function is unclear, but it is necessary to consider the effect of dandruff on the scalp. Growth of dandruff-related bacteria weakens the barrier. However, strengthening the barrier suppresses dandruff. In other words, there is an interdependency between scalp bacteria and skin, which is important for the maintenance of scalp barrier homeostasis. Anxiety regarding a sensitive scalp is as high as that for sensitive skin. At least 40% - 50% of individuals in modern society have complaints such as itching due to a sensitive scalp. The sensitivity of the scalp is similar between races. This is not a skin disease, but we have to think about how problems that customers face can be solved. Skin barrier and sensitive scalp are closely related. Collectively, strengthening or lowering the effect on the scalp barrier may result in a healthy scalp environment. As a result, it will alleviate people’s complaints about the scalp.

Tinhehuan Health and Skin Care Product

Jinhehuan(sponge tree)is a kind ofrare plant growing on the Tianshanmountain in the Xinjiang region of China,the red pigment of which is good forcooling and activating the blood, havingantipyretic, detoxified, antibacterial andantiphlogistic functions. Experts at theResearch Institute of Phytology under theAcademia Sinica have found that thiskind of pigment has a strong

A Discussion on the Development Status of Oral Care Products Industry in China

The general situation of production and sales of China’s oral cleaning care products industry in 2021 was briefly introduced.The market status and trend characteristics of the development of China’s oral cleaning care products industry was mainly discussed.The features and suggestions of China’s oral cleaning care products industry was summarized.

Research and Development Procedures of Chinese Herbal-medicine Skin Care Products with Chinese Characteristics

As far as Chinese herbal medicine resources are concerned,China is one of the countries with the richest biodiversity in the world.As for the future development direction of Chinese skin care products,the development of special Chinese herbal skin care products is an important issue.The technical route for the research and development(R&D)of Chinese herbal-medicine skin care products should focus on“combining ancient and modern,combining Chinese and Western”,that is to say combining the ancient knowledge and wisdom with modern science and technology,and combining Chinese traditional therapy with western pharmacology.This article will elaborate the five stages of developing innovative Chinese herbal skin care products:pondering and thinking stage;extraction and purification stage;experimental evaluation stage;quality index establishment stage;product development stage.The key points of these five stages can provide a reference for the cosmetics R&D personnel.This project will be beneficial to the development of Chinese herbal-medicine skin care products and the formulation of an overall effective development strategy,which is helpful to actively respond to new challenges and continuously improve product competitiveness,so as to vigorously build a world-renowned high-end cosmetic brand in China,and strive to cultivate a world-class cosmetics talent team.

Development of a Freeze-Dried Skin Care Product Composed of Hyaluronic Acid and Poly(γ-Glutamic Acid) Containing Bioactive Components for Application after Chemical Peels

Eight types of spongy sheet were prepared by freeze-drying aqueous solutions of hyaluronic acid (HA) and poly(γ-glutamic acid) (PGA) with or without bioactive components including vitamin C derivative (VC), glucosylceramide (GC), and epidermal growth factor (EGF). Spongy sheets were categorized into the following groups: Group I (HA/PGA), Group II (HA/PGA + VC), Group III (HA/PGA + GC), Group IV (HA/PGA + VC, GC), Group V (HA/PGA + EGF), Group VI (HA/PGA + VC, EGF), Group VII (HA/PGA + GC, EGF), and Group VIII (HA/PGA + VC, GC, EGF). In the first experiment, we examined fibroblast proliferation in conditioned medium that had been prepared by immersing each spongy sheet in a conventional culture medium. EGF-incorporating spongy sheets (Groups V-VIII) enhanced fibroblast proliferation more than EGF-free spongy sheets (Groups I-IV). In the second experiment, cytokine production by fibroblasts was evaluated using a wound surface model. This involved elevation of fibroblasts-incorporating collagen gel sheets to the air-liquid interface, on which a spongy sheet (Groups I, IV, V and VIII) was placed and cultured for 1 week. EGF-incorporating spongy sheets (Groups V and VIII) enhanced the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) by fibroblasts more than EGF-free spongy sheets (Groups I and IV). The effect of these four types of spongy sheet on wounds was investigated in animal experiments. Chemical peel was performed by contacting 50% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) on the dorsal region of mice, after which a spongy sheet was placed, and the wound condition was then observed in a two-week period. Angiogenesis was facilitated to a greater degree in Group VIII compared with Groups I, IV and V. This finding indicates that Group VIII spongy sheet is a promising aid for skin recovery after chemical peel.

Incidence of Personal Care Products in Surface Water of Middle Tennessee Urban and Rural Sub-Watersheds

Personal care products (PCPs) are stable and are recognized as important chemicals of emerging concern in freshwater resources in the United States (US), including surface water. Although little is known about the bio acces-sibility or biodegradation of these chemicals in the environment. Their primary source of entry into water bodies includes activities such as bathing and showering as well as improper disposal of unused personal care products. We conducted a study to monitor the incidence of personal care products in two rivers (surface water) in Middle Tennessee. The objectives were to determine the incidence of personal care products in surface water of urban and rural sub-watersheds. Secondly, to identify the most frequently detected PCPs in the rivers monitored in the sub-watershed. Water samples were collected from the Cumberland River and Collins River. These rivers represented surface water drained by urban and rural watersheds respectively in Middle Tennessee. The surface water samples were analyzed for the presence of personal care products using GC-MS. During sampling, water quality parameters of interest were collected in-situ with a multi-parameter data-sonde. Low-level concentration of compounds containing PCPs was detected in the two rivers monitored. Personal care products detected included the active ingredients in perfumes (Docosane, Heptadecane, Methyl hexadecanoate, and Undecane), antiperspirants (Octadecanol, and Pentadecalactone), skin conditioners (Cyclotrisiloxane, Isohexyl palmitate, Methyl palmitate, and Cedrol), and shampoos (1-Hexadecanol, Hexadecanoic acid, and Nonanal).

Didactic Sequences as an Educational Product to Facilitate Teaching-Learning Processes in Lato Sensu Graduate Courses in the Area of Health Management in Primary Care

Teaching strategies can be considered as techniques that are constructed to be used with the objective of promoting teaching and learning in the classroom, so that the teacher is considered a mentor, as he is the one who selects, analyzes, studies, organizes, builds and proposes the most classic tools to facilitate the learning process [1]. This study is an experience report related to the construction of an educational product that consists of the elaboration of pedagogical strategies, characterized by five didactic sequences in the perspective of collaborating with teaching-learning processes in lato sensu graduate courses. The themes that are part of the didactic sequences were built based on the results obtained in scientific research carried out during the development of the strict sensu postgraduate course in Teaching in Health and Technology, which involved: the work of coordinators who work in the field of health management in Primary Care, situations that challenge the management of Primary Care and the potentialities of work in the management of Primary Care. The didactic sequences have fun teaching strategies that provide meaningful learning for a future qualified professional performance. These sequences involve the use of active methodologies and the use of digital tools. The educational product developed seeks to promote benefits that can collaborate with the improvement of Primary Care Management and teaching-learning processes in the training of health professionals. Therefore, the pedagogical strategies, as well as its entire construction process, were developed through the collaboration of professors of the Health and Society discipline at the State University of Health Sciences of Alagoas (UNCISAL), seeking to make it qualify for effective construction of knowledge and that promote its wide use in the academic environment.

A review on analytical methods for pharmaceutical and personal care products and their transformation products

Pharmaceutical and personal care products(PPCPs)and corresponding transformation products have caused widespread concern due to their persistent emissions and potential toxicity.They have wide octanol-water partition coefficients(K_(ow))and different ionization constants(pK_(a))resulting in a poor analysis accuracy and efficiency.A suitable analytical method is the first prerequisite for further research on their environmental behavior to prioritize the substances.This study reviewed a full-scale analytical protocol for environmental samples in the recent ten years:from sampling to instrumental methods.Passive sampling techniques were compared and recommended for long-term continuous and scientific observation.A quick and effective sample extraction and clean-up method are highly required.Chromatographic methods coupled to mass spectrometry for determining PPCPs with a wide range of logK_(ow)(-7.53 to 10.80)were summed up.High-resolution mass spectrometry was confirmed to be a promising strategy for screening unknown transformation products,which would provide a nanogram level of detection limits and more accurate mass resolution.Screening strategies and mass change principles were summarized in detail.The recovery rate was important in multiple contaminants analysis identification and factors affecting the recovery rate of PPCPs were also discussed in this review,including sample matrix,target compounds characteristics,extraction method and solid-phase adsorbent.This review provides useful information for the selection of appropriate analytical methods and future development directions.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the freshwater aquatic environment

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products(PPCPs)are a unique group of emerging environmental contaminants,due to their inherent ability to induce physiological effects in human at low doses.An increasing number of studies has confirmed the presence of various PPCPs in different environmental compartments,which raises concerns about the potential adverse effects to humans and wildlife.Therefore,this article reviews the current state-of-knowledge on PPCPs in the freshwater aquatic environment.The environmental risk posed by these contaminants is evaluated in light of the persistence,bioaccumulation and toxicity criteria.Available literature on the sources,transport and degradation of PPCPs in the aquatic environment are evaluated,followed by a comprehensive review of the reported concentrations of different PPCP groups in the freshwater aquatic environment(water,sediment and biota)of the five continents.Finally,future perspectives for research on PPCPs in the freshwater aquatic environment are discussed in light of the identified research gaps in current knowledge.

Occurrence, sources and fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the groundwater: A review

The presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products(PPCPs)in the aquatic environment may pose potential threat to the ecosystem and human health,hence PPCPs have aroused much concern over the world.The contamination of PPCPs in the groundwater,the main source of drinking water supply in many countries and regions,has been extensively studied in the last decade.This paper reviews the occurrence of frequently detected PPCPs,including antibiotics,anti-inflammatories,lipid-regulators,carbamazepine,caffeine,and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide in groundwater,with special concern to the progress made over the past three years.Possible emission sources for PPCPs in groundwater,such as wastewater and contaminated surface water,landfills,septic systems,livestock breeding and sewer leakage,are summarized.Besides,adsorption,migration and degradation,the dominant mechanisms in the subsurface transport and fate of PPCPs,are discussed,and the insights into the future study of PPCPs in the groundwater are provided.

Occurrence,seasonal variation and human exposure to pharmaceuticals and personal care products in surface water,groundwater and drinking water in Lagos State,Nigeria

The occurrence of 28 pharmaceuticals and personal care products(PPCPs)was investigated in 17 surface water samples(rivers,canals,and lagoons),12 groundwater samples(wells and boreholes,which can also be consumed for drinking)and 8 drinking water samples(bottles and sachets)during dry and rainy seasons in Lagos state,Nigeria.The most prevalent compound detected in all samples was amoxicillin(an antibiotic)at median concentrations of 1614,238 and 358 ng/L in surface water,ground water and drinking water,respectively.This is of concern due to potential impact on development of antibioticresistant microbial strains.Other frequently-detected compounds include acetaminophen,nicotine,ibuprofen,and codeine with detection frequencies of more than 70%.Investigation of seasonal variability revealed that glyburide,caffeine,naproxen and diclofenac concentrations were significantly(P<0.05)higher during the dry season(winter),while Nicotine and Codeine levels were higher during the rainy season(summer).The factors influencing such seasonal variability include:dilution by extensive rainfall,agricultural activity(for nicotine)and usage patterns of pharmaceuticals among the local community.Measured concentrations in drinking water samples were used to assess inadvertent human exposure to PPCPs in Nigerian adults.Results revealed average daily exposures of 81,14 and 3 ngƩPPCPs/kg BW/day via drinking borehole,sachet water and bottled water,respectively.While there exists no health-based limit value(HBLV)for chronic exposure to mixtures of PPCPs,our results raise concern and warrant further investigation of the potential health implications of such unintended PPCPs exposure.

An efficient resin for solid-phase extraction and determination by UPLCMS/MS of 44 pharmaceutical personal care products in environmental waters

In this study,a hydrophilic resin named GCHM was fabricated based on poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone-codivinylbenzene),characterized,and applied as a solid-phase extraction(SPE)material.Up to 44 pharmaceuticals and personal care products(PPCPs)belonging to 10 classes were recovered in environmental water samples.Different variables affecting extraction,such as adsorbent amount,sample pH,and loading speed,were optimized.Under optimal conditions,the average absolute recovgy of 44 PPCPs was 75.6%using GCHM,indicating a better performance than the commercial Oasis^HLB.SPE with home-made hydrophilic polymeric sorbent followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry was validated,and the method achieved good linearity(r2>0.991,for all analytes).In addition,the method detection limits of target compounds ranged from 0.03 to 0.6 ng/L.The developed method was applied to determine PPCPs in 10 environmental water samples taken from the Yangtze River,Huaihe River,and Taihu Lake,1 groundwater sample from Changzhou in Jiangsu Province,1 wastewater sample from Xiamen and 2 seawater samples from the Jiulong River in Fujian Province,China.In these samples,22 compounds were determined at levels ranging from 0.5 to 1590 ng/L.

Facile in situ growth of highly dispersed palladium on phosphotungstic-acid-encapsulated MIL-IOO（Fe） for the degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products under visible light

A simple, facile in situ reduction approach is reported for the synthesis of Pd- nanoparticle-decorated phosphotungstic acid （PTA）-MIL-100（Fe） nanocomposites （Pd-H3PW12040-MIL-100（Fe）, denoted Pd-PTA-MIL-100（Fe））. During the in situ synthesis, PTA is encapsulated into the matrix of MIL-100（Fe） and serves as a UV-switchable reducing agent, resulting in highly dispersed Pd NPs. Using the photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products as model reactions, the ternary Pd-PTA-MIL-100（Fe） hybrids exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity compared with their foundation matrices, the binary PTA-MIL-100（Fe） nanocomposite. Based on photoelectrochemical analyses, the improved photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the well-known electronic conductivity of the Pd NPs, the fast electron transport of PTA, the intense visible-light absorption of MIL-100（Fe）, and the matched energy levels of the three components： MIL-100（Fe）, PTA, and Pd NPs. Importantly, almost no Fe and W ions were leached from the samples during the reaction, demonstrating the photostability of the Pd-PTA-MIL-100（Fe） composite. In addition, possible photocatalytic reactions mechanisms have also been investigated.

Occurrence and discharge of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in dewatered sludge from WWTPs in Beijing and Shenzhen

This study mainly focused on the occurrence of pharmaceutical and personal care products(PPCPs)in sewage dewatered sludge and their discharges through sludge disposal from wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs).The data were obtained and calculated from seven PPCPs in dewatered sludge collected from 12WWTPs in two typical cities,Beijing and Shenzhen in China.Four of seven PPCPs,diclofenac acid,carbamazepine,mefenamic acid and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide were detectable in dewatered sludge from Beijing and Shenzhen with concentration up to 4240,11,060,92 and 219μg/kg respectively.While,the other three compounds,trimethoprim,chloramphenicol and bezafibrate were not detected in collected samples from these two cities.The highest discharge of diclofenac acid and carbamazepine were 1023 g/d and 494 g/d respectively.In addition,the total discharge of these four detected PPCPs from each plant ranged from 5 to 1092 g/d in Beijing and 4e497 g/d in Shenzhen.Thus,PPCP discharge through sludge disposal cannot be neglected,and further research on transfer of PPCPs during sludge disposal onto agriculture land and influence of sludge application is required and essential.

Discharge inventory of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in Beijing,China

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products(PPCPs)are emerging environmental contaminants,whose potential risk for the ecological environment has caused wide attention in recent years.In China,quite a large amount of PPCPs were annually emitted into the environment.Their existence in different matrix has been reported frequently,including river water,sediment and soil.However,the contribution from different sources was seldom reported and still unclear in China.Wastewater treatment plant(WWTP)was usually considered to be the main source to the urban river,but livestock and aquaculture farms were also reported as significant pollution sources of PPCPs due to poor environmental management in China.This study summarized environmental discharges of different PPCPs from various sources and obtained the discharge data through different environment media in Beijing,the statistical source of PPCPs was analyzed in detail.The sources comprised WWTPs,excess sludge,hospital wastewater,municipal untreated wastewater,aquaculture wastewater and landfill leachate.This article helps understand the general situation and the potential risk of PPCPs in Beijing.

Occurrence of pharmaceutical and personal care products(PPCPs)in wastewater and receiving waters in South Africa using LC-Orbitrap™MS

There is continued interest in the occurrence and monitoring of emerging contaminants(ECs)in wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs)to assess their potential impact when released into the environment.The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of pharmaceutical and personal care products(PPCPs)in WWTP influents and effluents and receiving river waters in Pretoria,South Africa.Targeted screening and identification of PPCPs in the samples was done using liquid chromatography(LC)coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry(HRMS)Orbitrap™HRMS,after clean-up and preconcentration with Waters Oasis®hydrophilic-lipophilic-balanced(HLB)solid phase extraction(SPE)cartridges.Of the 156 target analytes screened in the study,120 could be satisfactorily determined under the study conditions,with 71 and 73 compounds being detected and quantified in the influent and effluent samples,respectively.Concentrations in the influents ranged from<ILOQ-14.2 mgL^-1and those in the effluent from<ILOQ-2.45 mgL^-1.It was found that 84%of the quantified compounds belonged to various classes of pharmaceuticals.Ibuprofen,caffeine,paracetamol and estradiol were the major individual contaminants in influent samples with average concentrations of 14.2,8.68,4.79 and 1.02 mgL^-1,respectively.In the effluent samples,the highest concentrations were recorded for estradiol(2.45 mgL^-1),ibuprofen(1.03 mgL^-1)and efavirenz(0.58 mgL^-1).The highest mean concentrations(above 0.5 mgL^-1)recorded in the river water samples were for ibuprofen,(4.14 mgL^-1downstream;3.19 mgL^-1upstream),caffeine(2.98 mgL^-1downstream;1.42 mgL^-1upstream),paraxanthine(1.22 mgL^-1downstream;0.798 mgL^-1upstream).Analysis of river water samples also revealed that PPCP contamination in the river system cannot be solely attributed to the WWTP effluents.Twenty-four compounds presented in this study are reported for the first time in South African surface waters.