Melanin – from melanocyte to keratinocyte, that is how melanin is transported within the skin

The article presents classifi cation, functions of melanins together with maturation stages and transport mechanisms of melanosomes from melanocytes to keratinocytes. Melanins are macromolecular pigments, occuring in the plants, animals and fungi kingdoms. Melanins can be classifi ed into three groups: eumelanin, pheomelanin and allomelanin. They are widely distributed in organism and are responsible for the colour of eyes, skin, hair, feathers and coats. Protective role of melanins is connected with absorbing of UV radiation and scavenging of free radicals. They can also interact with drugs, infl uencing therapeutic and toxic eff ects. Melanins are synthesized in melanocytes, in lysosome-related organelles – melanosomes. Melanosomes mature through four morphologically distinct stages. In melanocytes, they move rapidly fi rstly along microtubules and secondly along actine fi laments to the end of dendrites. Next, melanosomes are transferred to keratinocytes, where determine colour of skin and protect against ultraviolet radiation.W artykule przedstawiono podział i funkcje melanin oraz etapy dojrzewania i transportu melanosomów z melanocytów do keratynocytów. Melaniny są wielkocząsteczkowymi barwnikami szeroko rozpowszechnionymi w przyrodzie. Można wśród nich wyróżnić eumelaninę, feomelaninę i allomelaninę. Pełnią one wiele ważnych biologicznych i biochemicznych funkcji. Odpowiadają za kolor oczu, skóry, włosów, a także sierści i piór, ponadto chronią komórki przed szkodliwym wpływem promieniowania UV i wolnych rodników. Mogą także oddziaływać z cząsteczkami leków, wpływając na ich skuteczność i toksyczność. Biosynteza melaniny zachodzi w wyspecjalizowanych komórkach barwnikowych – melanocytach. Za proces melanogenezy odpowiedzialne są melanosomy należące do grupy organelli komórkowych związanych z lizosomami. Powstają one w kilkuetapowym procesie z endosomalnych pęcherzyków, które dojrzewając przechodzą przez cztery różne stadia morfologiczne. Dojrzałe melanosomy są transportowane z obszaru okołojądrowego do wypustek dendrytycznych melanocytów kolejno za pośrednictwem mikrotubul, a następnie fi lamentów aktynowych. Zgromadzone w wypustkach melanocytarnych melanosomy są transportowane do otaczających keratynocytów, gdzie determinują zabarwienie skóry oraz pełnią funkcję ochronną przed promieniowaniem UV

Cardioprotective Activity of Selected Polyphenols Based on Epithelial and Aortic Cell Lines. A Review

Polyphenols have recently gained popularity among the general public as products and diets classified as healthy and containing naturally occurring phenols. Many polyphenolic extracts are available on the market as dietary supplements, functional foods, or cosmetics, taking advantage of clients’ desire to live a healthier and longer life. However, due to the difficulty of discovering the in vivo functions of polyphenols, most of the research focuses on in vitro studies. In this review, we focused on the cardioprotective activity of different polyphenols as possible candidates for use in cardiovascular disease therapy and for improving the quality of life of patients. Thus, the studies, which were mainly based on endothelial cells, aortic cells, and some in vivo studies, were analyzed. Based on the reviewed articles, polyphenols have a few points of action, including inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, decrease in reactive oxygen species production and endothelial tube formation, stimulation of acetylcholine-induced endothelium-derived mediator release, and others, which lead to their cardio- and/or vasoprotective effects on endothelial cells. The obtained results suggest positive effects of polyphenols, but more long-term in vivo studies demonstrating effects on mechanism of action, sensitivity, and specificity or efficacy are needed before legal health claims can be made

A Small Molecule Targeting Human MEK1/2 Enhances ERK and p38 Phosphorylation under Oxidative Stress or with Phenothiazines

Small molecules are routinely used to inhibit protein kinases, but modulators capable of enhancing kinase activity are rare. We have previously shown that the small molecule INR119, designed as an inhibitor of MEK1/2, will enhance the activity of its fission yeast homologue, Wis1, under oxidative stress. To investigate the generality of these findings, we now study the effect of INR119 in human cells under similar conditions. Cells of the established breast cancer line MCF-7 were exposed to H2O2 or phenothiazines, alone or combined with INR119. In line with the previous results in fission yeast, the phosphorylation of the MAPKs ERK and p38 increased substantially more with the combination treatment than by H2O2 or phenothiazines, whereas INR119 alone did not affect phosphorylation. We also measured the mRNA levels of TP53 and BAX, known to be affected by ERK and p38 activity. Similarly, the combination of INR119 and phenothiazines increased both mRNAs to higher levels than for phenothiazines alone. In conclusion, the mechanism of action of INR119 on its target protein kinase may be conserved between yeast and humans

Bee Venom, Honey, and Royal Jelly in the Treatment of Bacterial Infections of the Oral Cavity: A Review

Oral diseases affect a very large number of people, and the applied pharmacological methods of treatment and/or prevention have serious side effects. Therefore, it is necessary to search for new, safer methods of treatment. Natural bee products, such as honey, royal jelly, and bee venom, can be a promising alternative in the treatment of oral cavity bacterial infections. Thus, we performed an extensive literature search to find and summarize all articles about the antibacterial activity of honey, royal jelly, and bee venom. Our analysis showed that these bee products have strong activity against the bacterial strains causing caries, periodontitis, gingivitis, pharyngitis, recurrent aphthous ulcers, supragingival, and subgingival plaque. An analysis of average MIC values showed that honey and royal jelly have the highest antimicrobial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum. In turn, bee venom has an antibacterial effect against Streptococcus mutans. Streptococcus sobrinus and Streptoccus pyogenes were the most resistant species to different types of honey, and royal jelly, respectively. Moreover, these products are safer in comparison to the chemical compounds used in the treatment of oral cavity bacterial infections. Since the antimicrobial activity of bee products depends on their chemical composition, more research is needed to standardize the composition of these compounds before they could be used in the treatment of oral cavity bacterial infections

Propolis as Natural Product in the Oral Cavity Bacterial Infections Treatment: A Systematic Review

The up-to-date records show that approximately 10% of people worldwide suffer from periodontal diseases and about 50% of adults have some sort of moderate oral cavity disease. Therefore, oral cavity diseases represent the group of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases in the world. Thus, novel, natural, safe, and effective methods of treatment need to be found. In this study, a systematic search was performed in PubMed and Google Scholar up to March 2022 to select research evaluating the activity of propolis against bacteria responsible for oral cavity diseases. Peer-reviewed journals in English containing information about the in vitro and in vivo studies were included in our research. We excluded the records without access, written in another language than English, thesis or book chapters, and review papers, and we rejected the texts when the authors did not write about the antibacterial activity. Collected results of the inhibition zone as well as average MIC and MBC values indicated that propolis exhibits antimicrobial activity against the strains of bacteria which cause, e.g., periodontitis, gingivitis, caries, subgingival plaque, supragingival plaque, recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAS), and pharyngitis. However, before propolis can be commonly used, more research is needed to fully understand its composition and antibacterial mechanism of action

Comparison of the Antioxidant Activity of Propolis Samples from Different Geographical Regions

Propolis composition depends on several factors. The classification of propolis is based on its geographical location, color and agricultural characteristics. It is also classified according to the flora where the bees collect the resins, which represent the raw material for propolis production. Propolis possesses high antioxidant activity determined by its phenolic compounds. Due to diverse composition and possible impact on human health, eight samples of propolis were evaluated for their phenolic composition and antioxidant activity. Samples of Polish, Romanian, Turkish and Uruguayan origin propolis were used for phenolic spectrum determination using high performance liquid chromatography and photodiode array detection and in vitro DPPH and ABTS methods were used to determine the antioxidant activity of the extracts. PCA and HCA models were applied to evaluate the correlation between isolated polyphenols and antioxidant activity. The results confirmed variability in propolis composition depending on the geographical region of collection and the plant sources, and correlation between chemical composition and antioxidant activity. Results of PCA and HCA analyses confirm that Polish propolis is similar to that from different provinces of Romania, while Turkish and Uruguay are completely different. Polish and Romanian propolis belong to the poplar type. The assessed phenolic compounds of propolis samples used in the study are responsible for its antioxidant effect. The observed antioxidant activity of the analyzed samples may suggest directing subsequent research on prophylactic and therapeutic properties concerning cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative, and cancerous diseases, which are worth continuing