Research on antioxidant performance of diglucosyl gallic acid and its application in emulsion cosmetics.

OBJECTIVE: Diglucosyl gallic acid is a whitening active with powerful whitening function. When it acts on human skin, microorganisms on the skin surface and part of the stratum corneum produce α-glucosidase to sever the glucose bond of diglucosyl gallic acid, thereby converting part of diglucosyl gallic acid into gallic acid, acting on the skin and exerting the excellent effects of diglucosyl gallic acid and gallic acid at the same time. Diglucosyl gallic acid has high stability and water solubility, it can reduce free radical generation, inhibit tyrosinase generation, prevent melanin transfer, and control skin inflammation. The present study investigates the in vitro tyrosinase inhibition activity, antioxidant capacity of diglucosyl gallic acid as well as its clinical efficacy as a cosmetic ingredient. METHODS: Taking VC and gallic acid as controls, the pH = 6.8, 0.05 mmol/L Na2HPO4-NaH2PO4 buffer solution was prepared to test the tyrosinase inhibitory activity and antioxidant capacity of diglucosyl gallic acid respectively. Using arbutin and nicotinamide, two common cosmetic raw materials as controls, 20 volunteers (aged 20-35 years old) were selected for the test. (2 ± 0.1) mg/cm2 take the lotion to be tested and apply it to the test part evenly, twice a day, volunteers are not allowed to use sunscreen or other sunscreen products during the study period. RESULTS: The results show that diglucosyl gallic acid has a stronger ability to inhibit the activity of tyrosinase compared with VC, and its IC50 value is 2.68 mg/ mL. Their potential antioxidant activities are further evaluated by the DPPH (α, α-diphenyl-ß-picrylhydrazyl) method and the ABTS [2,2´-azinobis-(3-ethylbenz othiazoline-6-sulphonate)] radical cation (ABTS+) method, in which the gallic acid demonstrates a better performance than the traditional antioxidant vitamin C (VC), while the diglucosyl gallic acid shows poorer performance. As to the reducing ability, VC has the best performance, much better than gallic acid and diglucosyl gallic acid. Furthermore, through clinical experiments, it is shown the application of the diglucosyl gallic acid as a cosmetic ingredient can considerably improve the brightness of the skin and meanwhile reduce the area of ultraviolet spots, melanin and erythema over time. CONCLUSION: The above in vitro and in vivo studies on diglucosyl gallic provide the basis for its future application development in cosmetics.

OBJECTIF: L'acide diglucosyl gallique est un actif blanchissant doté d'une puissante fonction blanchissante. Lorsqu'il agit sur la peau humaine, les microorganismes à la surface de la peau et une partie de la couche cornée produisent de l'α-glucosidase pour rompre la liaison glucose de l'acide diglucosyl gallique, convertissant ainsi une partie de l'acide diglucosyl gallique en acide gallique, agissant sur la peau et exerçant les excellents effets de l'acide diglucosyl gallique et de l'acide gallique en même temps. L'acide diglucosyl gallique a une stabilité et une solubilité dans l'eau élevées, il peut réduire la génération de radicaux libres, inhiber la génération de tyrosinase, empêcher le transfert de mélanine et contrôler l'inflammation cutanée. La présente étude examine l'activité d'inhibition de la tyrosinase in vitro, la capacité antioxydante de l'acide diglucosyl gallique ainsi que son efficacité clinique en tant qu'ingrédient cosmétique. MÉTHODE: En prenant VC (vitamine C) et l'acide gallique comme témoins, la solution tampon pH = 6,8, 0,05 mmol / L Na2HPO4-NaH2PO4 a été préparée pour tester respectivement l'activité inhibitrice de la tyrosinase et la capacité antioxydante de l'acide diglucosyl gallique. En utilisant l'arbutine et le nicotinamide, deux matières premières cosmétiques courantes comme témoins, 20 volontaires (âgés de 20 à 35 ans) ont été sélectionnés pour le test. Prendre la lotion à tester et l'appliquer (2 ± 0,1) mg/cm2 uniformément sur la partie testée, deux fois par jour, les volontaires ne sont pas autorisés à utiliser de crème solaire ou d'autres produits de protection solaire pendant la période d'étude. RÉSULTATS: Les résultats montrent que l'acide diglucosyl gallique a une capacité plus forte à inhiber l'activité de la tyrosinase par rapport au VC, et sa valeur IC50 est de 2,68 mg/mL. Leurs activités antioxydantes potentielles sont ensuite évaluées par la méthode DPPH (α, α-diphényl-ß-picrylhydrazyl) et la méthode ABTS [2,2´-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate)] radical cation (ABTS+), dans laquelle l'acide gallique présente de meilleures performances que la vitamine C (VC) antioxydante traditionnelle, tandis que l'acide diglucosyl gallique présente de moins bonnes performances. Quant au pouvoir réducteur, la VC a les meilleures performances, bien meilleures que l'acide gallique et l'acide diglucosyl gallique. De plus, à travers des expériences cliniques, il est démontré que l'application de l'acide diglucosyl gallique en tant qu'ingrédient cosmétique peut considérablement améliorer la luminosité de la peau et réduire en même temps la surface des taches de soleil, de la mélanine et de l'érythème au fil du temps. CONCLUSION: Les études in vitro et in vivo ci-dessus sur le diglucosyl gallique constituent la base de son futur développement d'applications en cosmétique.

Dental Caries Prediction Based on a Survey of the Oral Health Epidemiology among the Geriatric Residents of Liaoning, China.

BACKGROUND: Dental caries is one of the most common chronic diseases observed in elderly patients. The development of preventive strategies for dental caries in elderly individuals is vital. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to construct a generalized regression neural network (GRNN) prediction model for the risk assessment of dental caries among the geriatric residents of Liaoning, China. METHODS: A stratified equal-capacity random sampling method was used to randomly select 1144 elderly (65-74 years) residents (gender ratio 1 : 1) of Liaoning, China. Data for the oral assessment, including caries characteristics, and questionnaire survey from each participant were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was then performed to identify the independent predictors. GRNN was applied to establish a prediction model for dental caries. The accuracy of the unconditional logistic regression and the GRNN early warning model was compared. RESULTS: A total of 1144 patients fulfilled the requirements and completed the questionnaires. The caries rate was 68.5%, and the main associated factors were toothache history, residence area, smoking, and drinking. We randomly divided the data for the 1144 participants into a training set (915 cases) and a test set (229 cases). The optimal smoothing factor was 0.7, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the GRNN model was 0.626 (95% confidence interval, 0.544 to 0.708), with a P value of 0.002. In terms of consistency, sensitivity, and specificity, the GRNN model was better than the traditional unconditional multivariate logistic regression model. CONCLUSION: Geriatric (65-74 years) residents of Liaoning, China, have a high rate of dental caries. Residents with a history of toothache and smoking habits are more susceptible to the disease. The GRNN early warning model is an accurate and meaningful tool for screening, early diagnosis, and treatment planning for geriatric individuals with a high risk of caries.

Slc4 Gene Family in Spotted Sea Bass (Lateolabrax maculatus): Structure, Evolution, and Expression Profiling in Response to Alkalinity Stress and Salinity Changes.

The solute carrier 4 (SLC4) family is a class of cell membranes transporters involved in base transport that plays crucial roles in diverse physiological processes. In our study, 15 slc4 genes were identified and annotated in spotted sea bass, including five members of Cl-/HCO3- exchangers, eight genes coding Na+-dependent HCO3- transporters, and two copies of Na+-coupled borate transporters. The gene sequence and structure, chromosomal and syntenic arrangement, phylogenetic and evolution profiles were analyzed. Results showed that the slc4 gene in teleosts obviously expanded compared with higher vertebrates, arising from teleost-specific whole genome duplication event. Most gene sites of slc4 in spotted sea bass were under strong purifying selection during evolution, while positive selection sites were only detected in slc4a1b, slc4a8, and slc4a10b. Additionally, qRT-PCR results showed that different slc4 genes exhibited distinct branchial expression patterns after alkalinity and salinity stresses, of which the strongly responsive members may play essential roles during these physiological processes. Our study provides the systemic overview of the slc4 gene family in spotted sea bass and enables a better understanding for the evolution of this family and further deciphering the biological roles in maintaining ion and acid-base homeostasis in teleosts.

Curcumin: From a controversial "panacea" to effective antineoplastic products.

BACKGROUND: Curcumin, a controversial "panacea," has been broadly studied. Its bioactivities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and especially antineoplastic activities have been documented. However, due to its extensive bioactivities, some scientists hold a skeptical point of view toward curcumin and described curcumin as a "deceiver" to chemists. The objective of this study was to explore curcumin's another possibility as a potential supplementary leading compound to cancer treatments. METHODS: Literature searches were conducted using electronic databases. Search terms such as "curcumin," "curcumin analogues," and so on were used. The literatures were collected and summarized. In this article, reported targets of curcumin are reviewed. The limitations of a curcumin as a therapeutic anticancer product including low bioavailability and poor targeting are mentioned. Furthermore, modified curcumin analogues and antitumor mechanisms are listed and discussed in the aspects of cell death and tumor microenvironment including angiogenesis, tissue hypoxia status, and energy metabolism. RESULTS: Several possible modification strategies were presented by analyzing the relationships between the antitumor activity of curcumin analogues and their structural characteristics, including the introduction of hydrophilic group, shortening of redundant hydrocarbon chain, the introduction of extra chemical group, and so on. CONCLUSIONS: From our perspective, after structural modification curcumin could be more effective complementary product for cancer therapies by the enhancement of targeting abilities and the improvement of bioavailability.

Melanocortin-4 Receptor in Spotted Sea Bass, Lateolabrax maculatus: Cloning, Tissue Distribution, Physiology, and Pharmacology.

Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) plays important roles in regulation of multiple physiological processes including energy homeostasis, reproduction, sexual function, and other functions in mammals. Recent studies suggested that teleost MC4Rs have different physiological functions and pharmacological characteristics when compared to mammalian MC4Rs. In this study, we investigated spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) MC4R (LmMC4R) physiology and pharmacology. Spotted sea bass mc4r consisted of a 984 bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 327 amino acids. LmMC4R was homologous to those of several teleost MC4Rs and human MC4R (hMC4R). qRT-PCR and in situ hybridization revealed that mc4r transcripts were highly expressed in the brain, followed by pituitary and liver. Brain mc4r transcripts were down-regulated in long-term and short-term fasting challenges. LmMC4R was a functional receptor with lower maximal binding and higher basal activity than hMC4R. THIQ was not able to displace 125I-NDP-MSH but could affect intracellular cAMP accumulation, suggesting that it was an allosteric ligand for LmMC4R. In vitro studies with spotted sea bass brain cells indicated that mRNA levels of neuropeptide Y and Agouti-related peptide were down-regulated by α-MSH. In summary, we cloned spotted sea bass MC4R, and showed that it had different pharmacological properties compared to hMC4R, and potentially different functions.

14-3-3 gene family in spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus): Genome-wide identification, phylogenetic analysis and expression profiles after salinity stress.

The tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation (14-3-3) proteins are a group of highly conserved homologous and heterologous proteins involved in a wild range of physiological processes, including the regulation of many molecular phenomena under different environmental salinities. In this study, we identified eleven 14-3-3 genes from the spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus) genome and transcriptomic databases and verified their identities by conducting phylogenetic, syntenic and gene structure analyses. The spotted sea bass 14-3-3 genes are highly conserved based on sequence alignment, conserved domains and motifs, and tertiary structural feature. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of 14-3-3 genes in gill of spotted sea bass under normal physiological conditions indicated that the expression level of 14-3-3 zeta was the highest among tested genes, followed by 14-3-3 theta. Furthermore, expression profiles of 14-3-3 genes in gill tissue (in vivo and in vitro) indicated that the 14-3-3 zeta and 14-3-3 theta genes were significantly induced by different environmental salinities in spotted sea bass, suggesting their potential involvement in response to salinity challenge. Our findings may lay the foundation for future functional studies on the 14-3-3 gene family in euryhaline teleosts.

[In vivo and in vitro experimental study on the effect of fluoride-induced autophagy in rat HAT-7 cell line].

PURPOSE: To study the effect of fluoride on autophagy in rat ameloblasts both in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Logarithmic-phase HAT-7 cells were cultured in different concentrations of fluoride for 48h. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to detect autophagosomes. Western blot and RT-qPCR were carried out to examine the expression of LC3 and Beclin 1. Forty Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups randomly. The expression of LC3 and Beclin 1 in rats was investigated by immunohistochemical staining in vivo. The data were analysed using SPSS13.0 software package. RESULTS: The amount of autophagosomes in the experimental group was significantly more than that in the control group (P<0.05). The expression of LC3 and Beclin 1 were up-regulated in dose dependent manner after treatment with fluoride. Regression analysis showed that fluoride dependently induced the expression of LC3 and Beclin 1 (P<0.05).Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the expression of LC3 and Beclin 1 in rat ameloblasts in the experimental groups was positive compared to control group. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive fluoride induced autophagy in ameloblasts both in vitro and in vivo.

[Adsorption of the TiO2 @ yeast composite microspheres for adsorbing Fluorescent Whitening Agent-VBL in fixed bed].

In this work, the adsorption potential of TiO2@ yeast composite microspheres to remove Fluorescent Whitening Agent-VBL (FWA-VBL) from aqueous solution was investigated using fixed-bed adsorption column. The effects of pH(2.0-8.0), bed height (1-3 cm), inlet concentration (20-80 mg x L(-1)) and feed flow rate (5-11 mL x min(-1)) on the breakthrough characteristics of the adsorption system were determined. The results showed that the highest bed capacity of 223.80 mg x g(-1) was obtained under the condition of pH 2.0, 80 mg x L(-1) inlet dye concentration, 1.0 cm bed height and 5 mL x min(-1) flow rate. The adsorption data were fitted to three well-established fixed-bed adsorption models, namely, BDST model, Thomas model and Yoon-Nelson model. The results fitted well to the three models with coefficients of correlation R2 > 0.980 in different conditions. The TiO2 @ yeast composite microspheres have desired regeneration ability and could be reused for four times.

[The effect of fluoride on the expression of GRP-78 and caspase-12 in rat ameloblast].

PURPOSE: To study the effect of GRP-78 and caspase-12 on fluoride-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis in rat ameloblast, and explore whether fluoride-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress results in the occurrence of apoptosis. METHODS: The cell activity of ameloblast cultured in various concentrations of fluoride was measured by CCK8 and flow cytometry; Real-time RT-PCR and Western blot were used to analyze the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone GRP-78 and caspase-12 genes and the expression of related proteins. The data was analyzed with SPSS13.0 software package. RESULTS: With the increasing concentration of fluoride, the cell activity of rat ameloblasts decreased gradually, and flow cytometry also showed that the number of apoptosis gradually increased; Real-time RT-PCR and Western blot showed the expression of GRP-78 and caspase-12 increased while the fluoride concentration increased. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive fluoride induces endoplasmic reticulum stress of rat ameloblast, and leads to cell apoptosis.

[Effect of fluoride on the viability and apoptosis of ameloblasts in vitro].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of fluoride on viability of rat ameloblasts in vitro. METHODS: The ameloblasts of rat was exposed to different concentrations of NaF (0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.2, 6.4 mmol/L) for 24, 48 and 72 hours. CCK-8 assays were performed to measure the cells proliferation; The morphology of apoptosis was observed by Hoechst 33258 staining and the rate of apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. The data was analyzed using SPSS 13.0 software package. RESULTS: (1)The proliferation of ameloblasts was increased when concentrations of NaF between 0.4 mmol/L and 0.8 mmol/L, whereas inhibited at 1.6 mmol/L NaF and above. The effects were in time-dependent manner.(2)Cells in the 1.6 mmol/L NaF groups showed unclear karyorrhexis and apoptotic cell morphology. The effects were in concentration-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: (1)Fluoride has two-phase effects to ameloblasts: At low doses, it promoted cell proliferation while at high doses it had negative effects. (2)1.6 mmol/L NaF could induce apoptosis of ameloblasts.

[The effect of fluoride on the metabolism of teeth and bone in rats].

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of fluoride on the metabolism of teeth and bone in rats, and to probe the mechanism of pathogenesis of dental fluorosis. METHODS: A total of 48 Wistar rats were randomly and equally divided into 4 groups including control group (distilled water), low-dose group(NaF,50 mg/L), medium-dose group (NaF,100 mg/L) and high-dose group (NaF, 150 mg/L). After 8 weeks, the rats were sacrificed under anesthesia, and serums were collected. The biochemical technique was used to test serum calcium. Changes in the fluorine content in serums and teeth of each group were analyzed with fluoride ion selective electrode method. Radioimmunoassay was employed to detect the levels of osteocalcin (OC), parathormone (PTH) and calcitonin (CT), respectively. SPSS13.0 software package was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The fluorine content in serum and teeth in the fluoride group were significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05), and increased with the increasing concentrations (F value was 11.234 and 275.148 respectively, P<0.01). The level of calcium in serum (F=3.906, P<0.05) in the fluoride group was significantly lower than in the control group. The level of PTH and OC in serum in medium and high-dose group were significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.01), with the level of CT in high-dose group decreased significantly (P<0.01). The differences of the level of OC, PTH, CT between groups were significant (F value was 8.548, 3.801 and 5.121 respectively, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Fluoride affects the metabolism of teeth and bone in rats and OC, PTH, CT plays a key role in the pathogenesis of dental fluorosis.

[Effect of fluoride on the expression of endoplasmic reticulum chaperone in ameloblast of rat incisor].

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of different concentrations of fluoride on the expression of endoplasmic reticulum chaperone, and to explore the mechanism of dental fluorosis in rat. METHODS: Thirty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of CRT, GRP78, XBP-1 and caspase-12 in rat incisors. Metamorph microscope images analysis system and SPSS 13.0 software package was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Typical features of dental fluorosis were found in the fluoride group. Results of immunohistochemistry showed that CRT (F=238.6, P<0.05), GRP78 (F=27.42, P<0.05), XBP-1 (F=139.7, P<0.05) and caspase-12 (F=43.91, P<0.05) were significantly different among the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive fluoride can increase the secretion of CRT, GRP78, XBP-1 and caspase-12 suggest the ameloblasts and in status of endoplasmic reticulum stress and caspase-12 plays an important role during ameloblast apoptosis. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81072245) and Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (20102278).