Studies on Loading Salicylic Acid in Xerogel Films of Crosslinked Hyaluronic Acid.

During the last decades, salicylic acid (SA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) have been studiedfor a wide range of cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. The current study investigated thedrug loading potential of SA in HA-based crosslinked hydrogel films using a post-loading (osmosis)method of the unmedicated xerogels from saturated aqueous solutions of salicylic acid over a rangeof pH values. The films were characterized with Fourier-transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) andultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry in order to elucidate the drug loading profile and thefilms’ integrity during the loading process. Additional studies on their weight loss (%), gel fraction(%), thickness increase (%) and swelling (%) were performed. Overall, the studies showed significantfilm disintegration at highly acidic and basic solutions. No drug loading occurred at neutral andbasic pH, possibly due to the anionic repulsion between SA and HA, whereas at, pH 2.1, the drugloading was promising and could be detected via UV-Vis analysis of the medicated solutions, withthe SA concentration in the xerogel films at 28% w/w

Studies on Loading Salicylic Acid in Xerogel Films of Crosslinked Hyaluronic Acid.

During the last decades, salicylic acid (SA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) have been studiedfor a wide range of cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. The current study investigated thedrug loading potential of SA in HA-based crosslinked hydrogel films using a post-loading (osmosis)method of the unmedicated xerogels from saturated aqueous solutions of salicylic acid over a rangeof pH values. The films were characterized with Fourier-transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) andultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry in order to elucidate the drug loading profile and thefilms’ integrity during the loading process. Additional studies on their weight loss (%), gel fraction(%), thickness increase (%) and swelling (%) were performed. Overall, the studies showed significantfilm disintegration at highly acidic and basic solutions. No drug loading occurred at neutral andbasic pH, possibly due to the anionic repulsion between SA and HA, whereas at, pH 2.1, the drugloading was promising and could be detected via UV-Vis analysis of the medicated solutions, withthe SA concentration in the xerogel films at 28% w/w

Current Knowledge and Regulatory Framework on the Use of Hyaluronic Acid for Aesthetic Injectable Skin Rejuvenation Treatments

Dermal injections of hyaluronic acid gel for aesthetic skin rejuvenation are increasingly popular nowadays. Although these products are classified as medical devices, the regulations on their administration by licensed practitioners are still weak, whereas their manufacturers increasingly highlight and advertise the cellular effects that underpin the efficacy of these injections. In this re-view, we discuss all current knowledge on the mode of action of dermally injected hyaluronic acid and the potential toxicological implications especially from crosslinked gels in conjunction with the current global regulations. We conclude that dermal injections of hyaluronic acid have several therapeutic implications that warrant further research, and that strict regulations must be applied on their manufacture/quality control and the required qualifications of licensed aesthetic injectors

Bridging the gap between genetics and biochemistry:the science of proteomics

Scientists and researchers are well and truly engrossed with the -omics. This year’s science series reflects the current fascination with the complexity of the human body and how, alongside the various technological advances that allow us to probe the genome and epigenome,1 the microbiome,2 the metabolome,3 or the lipidome,4 tantalising insights are being reported into our health and ill health.The proteome adds to this interest, representing the complete package of proteins encoded by the genome of an organism at a given time. The analysis of the proteome — proteomics — reflects the ever increasing interest in looking at the real-time functional expression of the genome in order to seek out early biomarkers of disease and develop new therapeutic strategies to combat such diseases as a result. It is little wonder that proteomics is at the forefront of the -omics revolution