In vitro evaluation of oxidative damage from organic solvent vapours on human skin.

Aim of this study is to focus on the cutaneous effects of occupational exposure to the vapours of common organic solvents. Higher incidence of cancer is suspected in subjects exposed to organic solvents characterized by reactive metabolic intermediates, which are assumed to induce oxidative damage on liver, kidney and haematopoietic system. To our knowledge there are no relevant data about the oxidative effect of the organic solvents on skin after exposure to their vapours. An in vitro model was optimized to evaluate the viability and integrity of the barrier function of human skin following occupational exposure to solvent vapours. To evaluate the role of oxidative stress, the antioxidant status of skin and some biomarkers of oxidative damage as lipid and protein peroxidation products and DNA fragmentation were also studied. It was investigated if decreasing concentrations of styrene, toluene, acetone, xylene and perchloroethylene vapours, up to be comparable to the TLV-TWA, were able to damage skin integrity. Solvent vapours reduced tissue viability and impaired skin barrier function, as indicated by the increase of transepidermal water loss. Reduced glutathione depletion, decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes and oxidative damage of biological macromolecules were also observed. The overall trend of these results indicates that the tested compounds damage human skin even at concentrations comparable to their TLV, and that oxidative stress is involved in these effects.

Evaluation of extracts and isolated fraction from Capparis spinosa L. buds as an antioxidant source.

The antioxidant activity of extracts from Capparis spinosa L. buds was evaluated using different in vitro tests: ascorbate/Fe(2+)-mediated lipid peroxidation of microsomes from rat liver; bleaching of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical; and autoxidation of Fe(2+) ion in the presence of bathophenanthroline disulfonate. The methanolic extract showed strong activities in all of these in vitro tests. The amount of total phenols was determined in the methanolic extract. In addition, the level of rutin was calculated as 0.39% (w/w) by HPLC analysis. Our findings indicate the following: (a) the antioxidant efficiency of the methanolic extract may be attributed to its phenolic content; and (b) the antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract was maintained after removal of glucosinolates, confirming that these compounds do not interfere with the antioxidant properties of the extract. The results obtained from this study exalt the nutritional value of the flowering buds (capers) which are widely used as a source of flavor.