Cotton honeydew (Gossypium hirsutum L.) extract offers very interesting properties for hair cosmetics and care products.

Cotton honeydew extract is composed of a unique combination of oligosaccharides, including fructose, glucose, inositol, melezitose, saccharose, trehalose and trehalulose. Studies have shown that these oligosaccharides exhibit a protective effect. Therefore, we were interested in studying the effect of these oligosaccharides on normal and damaged human hair. Both clinical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies were performed. Standardized human hair samples were used to determine the effect of a rinse-off mask with 1% cotton honeydew extract on the ultrastructure of hair. In addition, hair samples were submitted to different aggressions, following various experimental protocols. SEM showed that, without extra aggression, the cuticle scales appeared to lie more smoothly in the hair in cotton honeydew extract-treated samples than in untreated samples. The extract-treated hair samples were also less prone to chipping. In contrast, the control, untreated hair samples retained a dry and damaged appearance and were prone to chipping and progressive splitting. In a clinical study, 15 volunteers had half of their hair treated with a formula with 1% honeydew extract and the other half was left untreated as a control. Pictures and visual evaluation of the hair showed that the honeydew extract formula left the hair with a smoothness that was far superior to the control side and this result was confirmed by SEM. In addition, mRNA studies on epidermal cells were performed and confirmed the stimulating effect of honeydew extract on keratin synthesis. These results demonstrate that cotton honeydew extract can be of great use in hair care products and cosmetics.

Quercus suber cork extract displays a tensor and smoothing effect on human skin: an in vivo study.

Recently, it has become indispensable for anti-aging active ingredients to provide a visible and immediate smoothing antiwrinkle effect. In Quercus suber, suberin is the most important structural component of cork cell walls. Studies have shown that suberin is made up mostly of hydroxycarboxylic acids and that it is endowed with many special mechanical and chemical properties that evoke a possible smoothing effect on the surface of the skin. Therefore, we were interested in investigating the effect of this cork extract on the skin's surface in a double-blind clinical study. The study was conducted in 15 healthy volunteers, aged 22 to 52 years. The volunteers applied a gel formula with 3% of cork extract, or placebo gel, on each forearm. Skin surface roughness was evaluated visually by pictures and by silicone replicas 1 and 2 h after application, followed by statistical analysis using the matched-pairs McNemar statistical test. McNemar analysis of the pictures revealed that application of cork extract on the skin resulted in a highly significant reduction of roughness 1 h after application. This effect was observed in 73.3% of volunteers. Two hours after cork extract application, a highly significant improvement of skin roughness was found in 78.6% of volunteers. Moreover, silicone replica treatment confirmed significant improvement in average of roughness at 2 h. These results demonstrate that cork extract provides a remarkable and highly significant tensor and smoothing effect on the skin, which could be of great use in anti-aging skin care products.

Date palm kernel extract exhibits antiaging properties and significantly reduces skin wrinkles.

Hormones play a central role in skin appearance and are implicated in skin aging. Recently, along with the remarkable increase in interest in natural products, the application of phytohormones in antiaging products has become very important. In this context, we developed date palm kernel extract. Date palm kernel is rich in phytohormones and we investigated the antiaging properties of date palm kernel in this in vivo study on wrinkles. Ten healthy women volunteers, between the ages of 46 and 58 years, applied the cream formula with 5% date palm kernel or placebo on the eye area twice a day for 5 weeks. The evaluation was made both clinically and by silicon replica analysis followed by statistical analysis using the Wilcoxon test. Silicon replica results showed that topical application of date palm kernel reduced the total surface of wrinkles by 27.6% (p = 0.038). Moreover, date palm kernel reduced the depth of wrinkles by 3.52% (p = 0.0231). These results are statistically significant and were clinically confirmed where visual improvement was seen in 60% of the volunteers treated. This in vivo study demonstrates that date palm kernel exhibits a significant antiwrinkle effect and is therefore of interest in antiaging skin care products.

A simple and rapid technique for postelectrophoretic detection of proteases using azocasein.

Azocasein, diffused into gels after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, provides a useful substrate for simple and rapid protease detection. After electrophoresis, the gels are incubated in an azocasein solution, immersed in trichloroacetic acid and then treated with NaOH. Proteolytic zones appear as uncolored bands on an orange background. The gels can be stored in trichloroacetic acid for months. This technique gives good results with serine proteases, acid proteases and metalloproteases. The method can be used under nondenaturing conditions and in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The sensitivity of this method is at the submicrogram protein level for trypsin.

Fatty acid and squalene compositions of Mediterranean Centrophorus SPP egg and liver oils in relation to age.

The liver oil content of seven Mediterranean Centrophorus spp. were studied together with the oil of one unfertilized egg and one yolk bag. The relative weight of the liver ranges from 15 to 29% of total body weight; 63 to 89% of the liver weight is oil. Squalene, the major component (49-89% in oil) of the unsaponifiable fraction, is directly quantified by GLC following TLC separation. The squalene level increases with the age of the animals. More than 50 fatty acid species were identified. Among them, the most abundant are: 16:0 (22-27%), 18:1 omega 9 (21-36%) and 22:6 omega 3 (2-18%). The level of omega 3-fatty acids, essential in the fishes, shows a maximum in the egg (26%), decreases to a minimum in the young (5%) and stabilizes to an intermediate level in the adult (12%).