Advances on Hormones in Cosmetics: Illegal Addition Status, Sample Preparation, and Detection Technology

Adverse Cosmetic Reactions in a Pediatric Population Reported to the Chongqing Drug Administration in China From 2017 to 2021

Background: Despite their ubiquitous use and several safety incidents involving cosmetics for children in China, there is little research on adverse reactions to cosmetics in children. Objectives: We assessed the cosmetic adverse reactions (CARs) reports submitted to the Chongqing Drug Administration in China for children, to understand the characteristics of CARs in a pediatric population and determine whether useful insights can be derived. Methods: We extracted the data file of the Chongqing Drug Administration's cosmetic adverse events reporting system from 2017 to 2021, and screened the information of people under the age of 18 years for analysis. Results: A total of 589 children were reported; of them, 475 female children and 114 male children, aged 1-17 years, and 89.6% were diagnosed with cosmetic contact Dermatitis. Itching and burning were the most prominent symptoms and accounted for 83.4% and 40.2%, respectively. The most frequently reported clinical sign was erythema (73.3%) followed by papule (37.9%). The face is the most vulnerable location to lesions, accounting for 80.8% of all areas, with girls having a significantly higher rate of facial and scalp damage than boys. The majority of the CARs were reported with cream, lotion, and toner for the skin (45.9%) and facial or body cleansing products (15.4%), and most of these products were purchased from authoritative shops. Conclusion: Although adults are the main group of people who use cosmetics, due to the special physiological structure of children, the safety of children's cosmetics should be given more attention. In addition, pediatricians and dermatologists should be active in submitting reports of adverse cosmetic events and encouraging consumers to do so likewise in situations in which a product adversely affects a child's health.

Development of double-layer poly (amino acid) modified electrochemical sensor for sensitive and direct detection of betamethasone in cosmetics

Screening for illegal use of glucocorticoids (GCs) in cosmetics by electrochemical methods is extremely challenging due to the poor electrochemical activity of GCs. In this study, poly-L-Serine/poly-Taurine modified electrode (P(Tau)/P(L-Ser)/GCE) was prepared for sensitive and direct determination of betamethasone in cosmetics by a simple two-step in situ electropolymerization reaction. The relevant parameters of preparation and electroanalytical conditions were respectively studied, including the concentration of polymerization solution, the number of scanning circles and the scanning rate. The SEM and EDS mapping demonstrated successful preparation of P(Tau)/P(L-Ser)/GCE. The electro-catalytic properties of the obtained electrodes were investigated using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry methods, showing a remarkable improvement of sensitivity for the detection of betamethasone due to the synergic effect of both P(L-Ser) and P(Tau). In addition, we investigated the electrochemical reduction of betamethasone on the surface of modified electrode. It was found that the process was controlled by diffusion effect and involved the transfer of two electrons and two protons. Then the electrochemical sensor method based on P(Tau)/P(L-Ser)/GCE was established and delivered a linear response to betamethasone concentration from 0.5 to 20 μg mL-1 with a limit of detection of 32.2 ng mL-1, with excellent recoveries (98.1%-106.8%) and relative standard deviations (＜4.8%). Furthermore, the established electrochemical sensor method was compared with conventional HPLC method. The results showed that both of them were comparable. Moreover, the established electrochemical sensor method was with the merits of short analysis time, environmentally friendly, low cost and easy to achieve in-site detection.

Epinephrine Affects Ribosomes, Cell Division, and Catabolic Processes in Micrococcus luteus Skin Strain C01: Revelation of the Conditionally Extensive Hormone Effect Using Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry and Proteomic Analysis

In the current study, extensive Orbitrap mass spectrometry analysis was conducted for skin strain Micrococcus luteus C01 planktonic cultures and biofilms after 24 h and 72 h of incubation either in the presence of epinephrine or without any implementations. The investigation revealed the complex and conditionally extensive effect of epinephrine at concentrations closer to normal blood plasma concentrations on both planktonic cultures and biofilms of skin strain M. luteus C01. The concentrations of hundreds of proteins changed during the shift from planktonic growth mode to biofilm and hundreds of proteins were downregulated or upregulated in the presence of epinephrine. Ribosomal, TCA, and cell division proteins appear to be the most altered in their amounts in the presence of the hormone. Potentially, the regulatory mechanism of this process is connected with c-di-GMP and histidine kinases, which were affected by epinephrine in different samples. The phenomenon of epinephrine-based biofilm regulation in M. luteus C01 has wide implications for microbial endocrinology and other research areas.