Stability and in vitro penetration study of rutin incorporated in a cosmetic emulsion through an alternative model biomembrane

Rutin is employed as antioxidant and to prevent the capillary fragility and, when incorporated in cosmetic emulsions, it must target the action site. In vitro cutaneous penetration studies through human skin is the ideal situation, however, there are difficulties to obtain and to maintain this tissue viability. Among the membrane models, shed snake skin presents itself as pure stratum corneum, providing barrier function similar to human and it is obtained without the animal sacrifice. The objectives of this research were the development and stability evaluation of a cosmetic emulsion containing rutin and propylene glycol (penetration enhancer) and the evaluation or rutin in vitro cutaneous penetration and retention from the emulsion, employing an alternative model biomembrane. Emulsion was developed with rutin and propylene glycol, both at 5.0% w/w. Active substance presented on the formulation was quantified by a validated spectrophotometric method at 361.0 nm. Rutin Rutin cutaneous penetration and retention was performed in vertical diffusion cells with shed snake skin of Crotalus durissus, as alternative model biomembrane, and distilled water and ethanol 99.5% (1:1), as receptor fluid. The experiment was conducted for six hours, at 37.0 +/- 0.5 degrees C with constant stirring of 300 rpm. Spectrophotometry at 410.0 nm, previously validated, determined the active substance after cutaneous penetration/ retention. Emulsion did not promote rutin cutaneous penetration through C. durissus skin, retaining 0.931 +/- 0.0391 mu g rutin/mg shed snake skin. The referred formulation was chemically stable for 30 days after stored at 25.0 +/- 2.0 degrees C, 5.0 +/- 0.5 degrees C and 45.0 +/- 0.5 degrees C. In conclusion, it has not been verified the active cutaneous penetration through the model biomembrane, but only its retention on the Crotalus durissus stratum corneum, condition considered stable for 30 days.

Influence of storage temperature on cooling intensity of topical emulsions containing encapsulated menthol

The cooling intensity of topical emulsions added with encapsulated or free menthol was evaluated by a screened and trained panel recruited based on the American Society for Testing and Materials method. A sensory panel composed of 10 trained judges performed the evaluation of samples stored at 22 +/- 2C for 24 h and, after 28 days of storage, at 37.0 +/- 0.5C. The obtained data were analyzed by analysis of variance and Tukey`s test. The results showed an increase of cooling intensity as a function of encapsulated menthol concentration. The opposite was observed in samples added with free menthol, which may have caused sensory fatigue. Storage at 37 +/- 0.5C for 28 days had no impact on the cooling intensity of emulsions containing encapsulated menthol, demonstrating high stability and suggesting its application in cooling skin care products. In contrast, emulsions added with free menthol showed a drastic decrease of cooling intensity at 37 +/- 0.5C..

Biophysical techniques used to evaluate the stratum corneum

Assortments of biophysical methods are used to the study the stratum corneum morphology and dynamic with the objective to elucidate the correlation between its structure and functions. Among these methods, there are: X-ray diffraction, electron paramagnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry, Raman spectroscopy with Fourrier transform, infrared spectroscopy and photoacustic spectroscopy. In this manuscript, methods are presented and discussed in relation to the use indication, interpretation of results and advantages and limitations to the stratum corneum analysis.

Rutin association with ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and benzophenone-3: In vitro evaluation of the photoprotection effectiveness by reflectance spectrophotometry

There is a world tendency to the development of sunscreens possessing reduced concentration of UV filters and, yet, with high UVA-UVB protection. This research work proposes the development and in vitro efficacy evaluation of sunscreens containing rutin, an antioxidant flavonol, associated or not to UVA (benzophenone-3) and UVB (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) filters. Formulations were in vitro assayed by reflectance spectrophotometry with integrated sphere, regarding the following parameters: estimated sun protection factor (SPF), critical wavelength (nm) and UVA/UVB ratio. Rutin 0.1% w/w photoprotection efficacy presented dependent of the concentration and presence of the UVA and UVB filters, and it was verified synergism on the SPF elevation, from 7.34 +/- 0.24 to 9.97 +/- 0.18, when the flavonoid was associated with the filters in minimum concentrations. Isolated rutin exerted UVA protection superior to the formulation not added to UV filters and their associations.

In vitro safety assessment of papain on human skin: A qualitative Light and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) study

Papain is a thiol proteolytic enzyme widely used in dermatology that found applications in wound treatment. Recently, papain was also used as absorption enhancer which can modify the peptide/ protein material in the bilayer domain. We investigated papain safety using human skin that was exposed to papain in vitro at different times: 4, 24 and 48 hours. The samples were examined using Light and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) to study of the mechanisms involved in enhancer-skin interaction. After 24 hours, changes occurred in corneosomes. However, samples of 48 hours did not show major changes in agreement with the control. These findings indicated that papain could be used safely onto the skin.

Chemopreventive effects of beta-ionone and geraniol during rat hepatocarcinogenesis promotion: distinct actions on cell proliferation, apoptosis, HMGCoA reductase, and RhoA

Chemopreventive activities of the dietary isoprenoids beta-ionone (beta I) and geraniol (GOH) were evaluated during the promotion phase of hepatocarcinogenesis. Over 5 consecutive weeks, rats received daily 16 mg/100 g body weight (b.w.) of beta I (beta I group), 25 mg/100 g b.w. of GOH (GOH group), or only corn oil (CO group, controls). Compared to the CO group, the following was observed: only the beta I group showed a decrease in the mean number of visible hepatocyte nodules (P<.05); beta I and GOH groups had reduced mean number of persistent preneoplastic lesions (pPNLs) (P<.05), but no differences regarding number of remodeling PNL (rPNLs) were observed; only the beta I group exhibited smaller rPNL size and percentage of liver sections occupied by pPNLs (P<.05), whereas the GOH group displayed a smaller percentage of liver sections occupied by rPNLs (P<.05); a trend was observed in the beta I group, which showed reduced cell proliferation of pPNLs (P<.10), and the GOH group had increased apoptosis in pPNLs and rPNLs (P<.05); only the beta I group displayed reduced total plasma cholesterol concentrations (P<.05) and increased hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMGCoA) reductase mRNA levels (P<.05): only the GOH group had lower hepatic membrane RhoA protein levels (P<.05); both the beta I- and GOH-treated groups had higher hepatic concentrations of beta I and GOH, respectively (P<.05). Given these data, beta I and GOH show promising chemopreventive effects during promotion of hepatocarcinogenesis by acting through distinct mechanism of actions: beta I may inhibit cell proliferation and modulate HMGCoA reductase, and GOH can induce apoptosis and inhibit RhoA activation. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transformations of taste: Americanisation, generational change and Australian cultural consumption

Researchers within the field of cultural imperialism as well as the more recently developed globalisation paradigm have tended to dwell upon the economic or corporate dimensions of global cultural flows and have been largely indifferent to the domain of the everyday cultural tastes and forms of cultural consumption that exist in particular national contexts. This article seeks to redress this focus through an examination of one particular instance of cultural imperialism, the widely held belief in ?he Americanisation of Australian society. Using data from a major research project inquiring into Australian everyday culture the article focuses on the changes in cultural tastes and preferences that are evident in three generational cohorts: contemporary young adults, a segment of the 'baby-boom' generation now in middle age, and a group of older Australians born in the years following World War I and the 1920s. The article documents a trend in which overseas influences, particularly those originating from America, appear to be increasingly shaping Australians' tastes in a wide range of cultural domains. Nevertheless, despite these changes in cultural taste Australians of ail ages retain a strong sense of a distinctive national identity. Such findings have implications for an understanding of cultural globalisation as a process of hybridisation and intermixing.

Improved methods for predicting individual leaf area and leaf senescence in maize (Zea mays)

The ability to predict leaf area and leaf area index is crucial in crop simulation models that predict crop growth and yield. Previous studies have shown existing methods of predicting leaf area to be inadequate when applied to a broad range of cultivars with different numbers of leaves. The objectives of the study were to (i) develop generalised methods of modelling individual and total plant leaf area, and leaf senescence, that do not require constants that are specific to environments and/or genotypes, (ii) re-examine the base, optimum, and maximum temperatures for calculation of thermal time for leaf senescence, and (iii) assess the method of calculation of individual leaf area from leaf length and leaf width in experimental work. Five cultivars of maize differing widely in maturity and adaptation were planted in October 1994 in south-eastern Queensland, and grown under non-limiting conditions of water and plant nutrient supplies. Additional data for maize plants with low total leaf number (12-17) grown at Katumani Research Centre, Kenya, were included to extend the range in the total leaf number per plant. The equation for the modified (slightly skewed) bell curve could be generalised for modelling individual leaf area, as all coefficients in it were related to total leaf number. Use of coefficients for individual genotypes can be avoided, and individual and total plant leaf area can be calculated from total leaf number. A single, logistic equation, relying on maximum plant leaf area and thermal time from emergence, was developed to predict leaf senescence. The base, optimum, and maximum temperatures for calculation of thermal time for leaf senescence were 8, 34, and 40 degrees C, and apply for the whole crop-cycle when used in modelling of leaf senescence. Thus, the modelling of leaf production and senescence is simplified, improved, and generalised. Consequently, the modelling of leaf area index (LAI) and variables that rely on LAI will be improved. For experimental purposes, we found that the calculation of leaf area from leaf length and leaf width remains appropriate, though the relationship differed slightly from previously published equations.

mRNA differential display of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylinlidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-induced rat mammary gland tumors

The mRNA differential display technique was used to compare mRNAs between normal mammary gland and turner-derived epithelial cells from female Sprague-Dawley rat mammary gland tumors induced by the heterocyclic amine 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and promoted by a high-fat diet (23.5% corn oil). Two genes, beta-casein and transferrin, were identified as differentially expressed. The expression of these genes was examined across a bank of rat mammary gland tumors derived from animals on a low-fat diet (5% corn oil) or the high-fat diet. Carcinomas had over a 10- and 50-fold lower expression of beta-casein and transferrin, respectively than normal mammary gland. In addition, carcinomas from animals on the high-fat diet showed on average a 5-fold higher expression of beta-casein, and transferrin than carcinomas from animals on the low-fat diet. The results indicate the process of mammary gland tumorigenesis alters the expression of certain genes in the mammary gland, and that the level of dietary fat further modulates the expression of these genes.

Characterization of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha in normal rat mammary gland and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine-induced mammary gland tumors from rats fed high and low fat diets

Normal Sprague-Dau ley rat mammary gland epithelial cells and mammary gland carcinomas induced by 2-amino-1 -methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine, a carcinogen found in the diet, were examined for the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha). PPAR alpha mRNA and protein was detected in normal and tumor tissue by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. By quantitative RT-PCR, carcinomas had a 12-fold higher expression than control mammary glands, a statistically significant difference. PPAR alpha expression was examined in carcinomas and normal tissues from rats on high fat (23.5/% corn oil) and low fat (5% corn oil) diets. Although neither carcinomas, nor control tissues showed statistically significant differences between the two diet groups, PPAR alpha expression was the highest in carcinomas from rats on the high fat diet. The expression of PPAR alpha in normal mammary gland and its significant elevation in mammary gland carcinomas raises the possibility of its involvement in mammary gland physiology and pathophysiology. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecology and behavior of first instar larval Lepidoptera

Neonate Lepidoptera are confronted with the daunting task of establishing themselves on a food plant. The factors relevant to this process need to be considered at spatial and temporal scales relevant to the larva and not the investigator. Neonates have to cope with an array of plant surface characters as well as internal characters once the integument is ruptured. These characters, as well as microclimatic conditions, vary within and between plant modules and interact with larval feeding requirements, strongly affecting movement behavior, which may be extensive even for such small organisms. In addition to these factors, there is an array of predators, pathogens, and parasitoids with which first instars must contend. Not surprisingly, mortality in neonates is high but can vary widely. Experimental and manipulative studies, as well as detailed observations of the animal, are vital if the subtle interaction of factors responsible for this high and variable mortality are to be understood. These studies are essential for an understanding of theories linking female oviposition behavior with larval survival, plant defense theory, and population dynamics, as well as modern crop resistance breeding programs.

Potential of Amaranthus cruentus BRS Alegria in the production of flour, starch and protein concentrate: chemical, thermal and rheological characterization

BACKGROUND: Amaranth is a little-known culture in Brazilian agriculture. Amaranthus cruentus BRS Alegria was the first cultivar recommended by Embrapa for the soil of the Brazilian scrubland. In order to evaluate the potential of this species in the production of flour, starch and protein concentrates, the latter products were obtained from A. cruentus BRS Alegria seeds, characterized and compared with the products obtained from the A. caudatus species cultivated in its soil of origin. RESULTS: The seeds of A. cruentus BRS Alegria furnished high-purity starch and flour with significant content of starch, proteins, and lipids. The starch and flour of this species presented higher gelatinization temperatures and formed stronger gels upon cooling compared with those obtained from the A. caudatus species. This is due to their greater amylose content and a difference in the composition of the more important fatty acids, such as stearic, oleic and linoleic acids, which indicates that they have greater heat stability. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and differential scanning calorimetry revealed the presence of albumins, globulins, glutelins and prolamins in the protein concentrate, which was obtained as a byproduct of starch production. CONCLUSION: Amaranthus cruentus BRS Alegria has potential application in the production of flour, starch and protein concentrates, with interesting characteristics for use as food ingredients. (C) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry

Production of fibrolytic enzymes by Aspergillus japonicus C03 using agro-industrial residues with potential application as additives in animal feed

Solid-state fermentation obtained from different and low-cost carbon sources was evaluated to endocellulases and endoxylanases production by Aspergillus japonicus C03. Regarding the enzymatic production the highest levels were observed at 30 degrees C, using soy bran added to crushed corncob or wheat bran added to sugarcane bagasse, humidified with salt solutions, and incubated for 3 days (xylanase) or 6 days (cellulase) with 70% relative humidity. Peptone improved the xylanase and cellulase activities in 12 and 29%, respectively. The optimum temperature corresponded to 60 degrees C and 50-55 degrees C for xylanase and cellulase, respectively, both having 4.0 as optimum pH. Xylanase was fully stable up to 40 degrees C, which is close to the rumen temperature. The enzymes were stable in pH 4.0-7.0. Cu(++) and Mn(++) increased xylanase and cellulase activities by 10 and 64%, respectively. A. japonicus C03 xylanase was greatly stable in goat rumen fluid for 4 h during in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Magnesium in tropical and subtropical soils from north-eastern Australia .2. Response by glasshouse-grown maize to applied magnesium

A glasshouse trial, in which maize (Zea mays L. cv. Pioneer 3270) was grown in 35 north-eastern Australian soils of low magnesium (Mg) status, was undertaken to study the response to applied Mg. Of the soils studied, 20 were strongly acidic (pH(1:5 soil:water) <5.4), and in these soils the response to Mg was studied in both the presence and absence of lime. Magnesium application significantly (P < 0.05) increased dry matter yield in 10 soils, all of which were strongly acidic. However, significant Mg responses were recorded in 6 soils in the presence of lime, indicating that, in many situations, liming strategies may need to include consideration of Mg nutrition. Critical soil test values for 90% relative yield were 0.21 cmol(+)/kg of exchangeable Mg or 7% Mg saturation, whilst the critical (90% yield) plant tissue Mg concentration (whole shoots) was 0.15%.

Early neonatal morbidity and mortality in growth-discordant twins

Objective. To evaluate early neonatal morbidity and mortality in twin pregnancies with growth discordance. Design. Retrospective study. Setting. Tertiary teaching hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Population. A total of 151 twin pregnancies managed and delivered at the Multiple Pregnancy Unit at Sao Paulo University Hospital between 1998 and 2004. Methods. Comparison between twin pregnancies with weight discordance 20% and pregnancies concordant for fetal weight. Cases with fetal death, abnormalities, twin-to-twin transfusion and delivery before 26 weeks or in another hospital were excluded. Outcome measures. Early neonatal morbidity (Apgar at 5 minutes 7, respiratory or neurological complications, infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, length of hospital stay) and mortality. Results. Forty (26.5%) pregnancies presented discordance 20% and 111 (73.5%) were concordant. In the discordant group, 75% of pregnancies had at least one growth restricted fetus (10th centile). In concordant twin pregnancies, monochorionic cases (22.5%) presented with lower gestational age (34.3 vs. 36.2 weeks), lower birthweight (2,067 vs. 2,334 g) and a longer period of hospital stay (5.5 vs. 3.0) compared to dichorionic concordant twins. No differences between monochorionic and dichorionic subgroups were observed in discordant twins. Pregnancies in which at least one baby was born with a birthweight below the 10th centile showed that discordant pregnancies had a lower gestational age at delivery (35.2 vs. 36.8 weeks) and a longer period of hospital stay (9 vs. 4 weeks) compared to concordant cases. Neonatal mortality was similar in discordant (3.7%) and concordant (4.5%) twins. Conclusion. Early perinatal morbidity is increased in twin pregnancies with birthweight discordance 20% only when associated with fetal growth restriction and low birthweight.