In vivo studies of substances used in the cosmetic industry

A Long-Lasting Skin Protectant Based on CG-101, a Deep Eutectic Solvent Comprising Choline and Geranic Acid

The COVID-19 public health crisis has spotlighted the need to improve global hygiene and sanitization. In addition to causing staggering rates of transmission and fatality, COVID-19 has severely impacted the quality of life and mental health of global citizens. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourage hand hygiene as the first defense against the spread of infection, yet frequent handwashing is often impractical. Widely used ethanol-based hand sanitizers provide immediate protection against pathogens on the skin, albeit short-lived, due to their rapid evaporation. Herein, a novel, long-lasting skin protectant formulated with biocompatible ionic liquid/deep eutectic solvents prepared using generally recognized as safe materials - choline and geranic acid (CG-101, 5% w/w) - is described. In vitro studies demonstrated that CG-101 inactivates bacteria and the human coronavirus, hCoV229E, for 4 h after application. Two human clinical studies demonstrate that CG-101 does not cause skin irritation or sensitization, and a single application of CG-101 gel imparts skin protection against microbes for significantly longer than conventional 70% ethanol-based hand sanitizers. These data are the first to indicate that CG-101 may be a better alternative to alcohol-based hand sanitizers for long-term skin protection against infectious diseases.

Evaluating the Efficacy of Lotion Containing Black Rice Bran (Oryza sativa L. indica) Extract as Skin Brightening Agent: A Clinical Trial

Background: Ultraviolet exposure is an extrinsic factor to initiate melanogenesis, the process of melanin formation in the skin. Nowadays, natural ingredients tend to be more prevalent in cosmetic formulations due to consumers’ concern about synthetic ingredients and the risks they may represent for human health. Rice bran, the outer layer of a rice grain, can be utilized as a skin-lightening agent. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the efficacy of a lotion containing black rice bran (Oryza sativa L. indica) ethanolic extract as a skin lightening agent. Methods: The black rice bran ethanolic extract was formulated into oil in water (o/w) lotion. In this study, 34 women applied the lotion at one side of the forearm and base placebo lotion as control at the other side of forearm. The results were tested with a paired t-test by GraphPad Prism 8.3.0 software. Results: There was a significant decrease in the melanin index and erythema index in the forearm with a lotion containing black rice bran extract (P-value < 0.0001). Conclusions: The lotion containing 10% black rice bran extract was effective as a skin lightener because it effectively reduced skin melanin production when applied topically.

Multiorgan Microphysiological Systems for Drug Development: Strategies, Advances, and Challenges

Traditional cell culture and animal models utilized for preclinical drug screening have led to high attrition rates of drug candidates in clinical trials due to their low predictive power for human response. Alternative models using human cells to build in vitro biomimetics of the human body with physiologically relevant organ-organ interactions hold great potential to act as "human surrogates" and provide more accurate prediction of drug effects in humans. This review is a comprehensive investigation into the development of tissue-engineered human cell-based microscale multiorgan models, or multiorgan microphysiological systems for drug testing. The evolution from traditional models to macro- and microscale multiorgan systems is discussed in regards to the rationale for recent global efforts in multiorgan microphysiological systems. Current advances in integrating cell culture and on-chip analytical technologies, as well as proof-of-concept applications for these multiorgan microsystems are discussed. Major challenges for the field, such as reproducibility and physiological relevance, are discussed with comparisons of the strengths and weaknesses of various systems to solve these challenges. Conclusions focus on the current development stage of multiorgan microphysiological systems and new trends in the field.