Natural alternatives from your garden for hair care: Revisiting the benefits of tropical herbs.

Hair shampoos containing botanical ingredients without synthetic additives, such as parabens, petrochemicals, sulfates and silicones are more skin- and environmentally friendly. In recent years, there is a growing demand for shampoo products with botanical extracts. Shampoos with botanical extracts are well-known for their perceived health benefits. They are also generally milder, non-toxic, natural, and less likely to disrupt the hair and scalp's natural pH and oil balance. Many also believe that shampoos with botanical origins have higher standards of quality. Numerous botanical extracts had been used as natural active ingredients in cosmetic formulations to meet consumer demands. In this review, we have revisited six tropical plants commonly added as natural active ingredients in shampoo formulations: Acacia concinna, Camellia oleifera, Azadirachta indica, Emblica officinalis, Sapindus mukorossi, and Garcinia mangostana. These plants have been traditionally used for hair care, and scientific research has shown that they exhibit relevant physicochemical properties and biological activities that are beneficial for hair care and scalp maintenance.

Cassia alata, Coriandrum sativum, Curcuma longa and Azadirachta indica: Food Ingredients as Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Atopic Dermatitis-A Comprehensive Review.

Traditional medicine is critical in disease treatment and management. Herbs are gaining popularity for disease management and treatment. Therefore, they can be utilised as complementary and alternative treatment (CAT) ingredients. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the common non-communicable diseases. It is characterised by chronic inflammatory skin disease with intense pruritus and eczematous lesions. AD is associated with oxidative stress, microbial infection, and upregulation of inflammatory cytokines. Both children and adults could be affected by this skin disorder. The prevalence of AD is increasing along with the country's level of development. This review revisited the literature on four medicinal herbs widely used as complementary medicine to manage AD. These therapeutic herbs are commonly eaten as food and used as spices in Asian cuisine. The four food herbs reviewed are Cassia alata, Coriandrum sativum, Curcuma longa Linn, and Azadirachta indica. Their traditional uses and phytochemical content will be covered. Four relevant pharmacological and biological activities of the plants crucial in AD management have been reviewed and discussed, including anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, and wound recovery.

Gut Microbiome and Serum Metabolome Alterations Associated with Isolated Dystonia.

Dystonia is a complex neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions. Increasing studies implicate the microbiome as a possible key susceptibility factor for neurological disorders, but the relationship between the gut microbiota and dystonia remains poorly explored. Here, the gut microbiota of 57 patients with isolated dystonia and 27 age- and environment-matched healthy controls was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Further, integrative analysis of the gut microbiome and serum metabolome measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed. No difference in α-diversity was found, while ß-diversity was significantly different, with a more heterogeneous community structure among dystonia patients than among controls. The most significant changes in dystonia highlighted an increase in Clostridiales, including Blautia obeum, Dorea longicatena, and Eubacterium hallii, and a reduction in Bacteroides vulgatus and Bacteroides plebeius. The functional analysis revealed that genes related to tryptophan and purine biosynthesis were more abundant in gut microbiota from patients with dystonia, while genes linked to citrate cycle, vitamin B6, and glycan metabolism were less abundant. The evaluation of serum metabolites revealed altered levels of l-glutamic acid, taurine, and d-tyrosine, suggesting changes in neurotransmitter metabolism. The most modified metabolites strongly inversely correlated with the abundance of members belonging to the Clostridiales, revealing the effect of the gut microbiota on neurometabolic activity. This study is the first to reveal gut microbial dysbiosis in patients with isolated dystonia and identified potential links between gut microbiota and serum neurotransmitters, providing new insight into the pathogenesis of isolated dystonia. IMPORTANCE Dystonia is the third most common movement disorder after essential tremor and Parkinson's disease. However, the cause for the majority of cases is not known. This is the first study so far that reveals significant alterations of gut microbiome and correlates the alteration of serum metabolites with gut dysbiosis in patients with isolated dystonia. We demonstrated a general overrepresentation of Clostridiales and underrepresentation of Bacteroidetes in patients with dystonia in comparison with healthy controls. The functional analysis found that genes related to the biosynthesis of tryptophan, which is the precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin, were more active in isolated dystonia patients. Altered levels of several serum metabolites were found to be associated with microbial changes, such as d-tyrosine, taurine, and glutamate, indicating differences in neurotransmitter metabolism in isolated dystonia. Integrative analysis suggests that neurotransmitter system dysfunction may be a possible pathway by which the gut microbiome participates in the development of dystonia. The gut microbiome changes provide new insight into the pathogenesis of dystonia, suggesting new potential therapeutic directions.

Variation of 423G>T in the Agouti gene exon 4 in indigenous chinese goat breeds.

The Agouti gene plays an important role in pigment synthesis in domestic animals. A transversion of 423G>T recognized by BanII was found after a fragment (178 bp) of the goat Agouti gene exon 4 was amplified and sequenced. To investigate its genetic effect and diversity, 677 individuals from 12 indigenous Chinese goat breeds and one imported goat breed from South Africa (Boer goat) were analyzed by PCR-RFLP. Two alleles, T and G, and three genotypes, TT, TG, and GG, were detected. Allele T had a higher frequency in most goat breeds and, combined with the coat color phenotype, is believed to be responsible for the black phenotype or to be linked with the causative site in the goat. The results also indicate that the 423G>T transversion showed lower genetic diversity in goat breeds with black coat color in China. Genetic differentiation among the 13 goat populations was 0.2023. The clustering of populations based on the 423G>T site was basically consistent with the variation of coat color.