The use of non-animal alternatives in the safety evaluations of cosmetics ingredients by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS)

In Europe, the safety evaluation of cosmetics is based on the safety evaluation of each individual ingredient. Article 3 of the Cosmetics Regulation specifies that a cosmetic product made available on the market is to be safe for human health when used normally or under reasonably foreseeable conditions. For substances that cause some concern with respect to human health (e.g. colorants, preservatives, UV-filters), safety is evaluated at the Commission level by a scientific committee, presently called the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). According to the Cosmetics Regulations, in the EU, the marketing of cosmetics products and their ingredients that have been tested on animals for most of their human health effects, including acute toxicity, is prohibited. Nevertheless, any study dating from before this prohibition took effect is accepted for the safety assessment of cosmetics ingredients. The in vitro methods reported in the dossiers summited to the SCCS are here evaluated from the published reports issued by the scientific committee of the Directorate General of Health and Consumers (DG SANCO); responsible for the safety of cosmetics ingredients. The number of studies submitted to the SCCS that do not involve animals is still low and in general the safety of cosmetics ingredients is based on in vivo studies performed before the prohibition

Antitumor activities of metal oxide nanoparticles

Nanoparticles have received much attention recently due to their use in cancer therapy. Studies have shown that different metal oxide nanoparticles induce cytotoxicity in cancer cells, but not in normal cells. In some cases, such anticancer activity has been demonstrated to hold for the nanoparticle alone or in combination with different therapies, such as photocatalytic therapy or some anticancer drugs. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have been shown to have this activity alone or when loaded with an anticancer drug, such as doxorubicin. Other nanoparticles that show cytotoxic effects on cancer cells include cobalt oxide, iron oxide and copper oxide. The antitumor mechanism could work through the generation of reactive oxygen species or apoptosis and necrosis, among other possibilities. Here, we review the most significant antitumor results obtained with different metal oxide nanoparticles

Nanocarriers for Delivery of Antioxidants on the Skin

Skin is protected from the harmful effects of free radicals by the presence of an endogenous antioxidant system. However, when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, there is an imbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants, leading to oxidative stress and photoaging of the skin. It has been described that free radicals and other reactive species can cause severe damage to cells and cell components of the skin, which results in skin aging and cancer. To prevent these actions on skin, the use of topical antioxidant supplementation is a strategy used in the cosmetics industry and these antioxidants act on quenching free radicals. There are many studies that demonstrated the antioxidant activity of many phytochemicals or bioactive compounds by free radical scavenging. However, many bioactive substances are unstable when exposed to light or lose activity during storage. The potential sensitivity of these substances to light exposure is of importance in cosmetic formulations applied to skin because photo-degradation might occur, reducing their activity. One strategy to reduce this effect on the skin is the preparation of different types of nanomaterials that allow the encapsulation of the antioxidant substances. Another problem related to some antioxidants is their inefficient percutaneous penetration, which limits the amount of the active ingredient able to reach the site of action in viable epidermis and dermis. In this sense, the encapsulation in polymeric nanoparticles could enhance the permeation of these substances. Nanocarriers offers several advantages over conventional passive delivery, such as increased surface area, higher solubility, improved stability, controlled release, reduced skin irritancy, and protection from degradation. The different nanocarrier systems used in cosmetics include nanolipid delivery systems such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), nanoemulsions (NEs), nanoparticles (NP) suspension, and polymer NPs, among others. In this review, we present the different types of nanomaterials use

Alternative Methods to Animal Testing for the Safety Evaluation of Cosmetic Ingredients: An Overview

The safety of cosmetics sold in Europe is based on the safety evaluation of each individual ingredient conducted by those responsible for putting the product on the market. However, those substances for which some concern exists with respect to human health (e.g., colorants, preservatives, UV-filters, nanomaterials) are evaluated at the European Commission level by a scientific committee, currently called the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). According to the Cosmetics Regulation (European Commission, 2009), it is prohibited in the European Union (EU) to market cosmetic products and ingredients that have been tested on animals. However, the results of studies performed before the ban continue to be accepted. In the current study, we evaluated the use of in vitro methods in the dossiers submitted to the SCCS in the period between 2013 and 2016 based on the published reports issued by the scientific committee, which provides a scientific opinion on these dossiers. The results of this evaluation were compared with those of an evaluation conducted four years previously. We found that, despite a slight increase in the number of studies performed in vitro, the majority of studies submitted to the SCCS is still done principally in vivo and correspond to studies performed before the ban

Estudio del método de lactobionato de eitromicina para la valoración de analgésicos

Tesi de Llicenciatura per a la obtenció del Grau de Farmàcia. Facultat de Farmàcia. Universitat de Barcelona. Director: Joana M. Planas i Rosselló. 1978

¿Existen alternativas a los experimentos con animales?

For many centuries, humanity has been using animals for scientific knowledge and thanks to these animals much progress has been made in the development of therapies, surgery, etc. But it is known that not all trials carried out on animals end up leading to new treatments of clinical interest. Despite this, many laboratory animals continue to be used, although some statistics point to a decrease in the number of animals. Moreover, there is an increase in the use of genetically modified animals. When a researcher considers a project in which animals are used, they should look for alternatives that replace animals, reduce the number used and refine techniques to reduce animal suffering. In practice, many researchers do not conduct a thorough search and justify it by saying that there are no alternatives to their experiments and animals are necessary. This article presents how to perform this search and examples of alternatives of replacement, so that there are no excuses to change the methodologies used

Influencia de la edad sobre la absorción de azúcares por intestino delgado de rata "in vivo"

[spa] La absorción intestinal de no electrolitos se realiza mediante mecanismos de transporte activos y pasivos. Durante mucho tiempo se ha venido prestando especial atención a los mecanismos de transporte activo, utilizando sobre todo técnicas ’in vitro" cada día más sofisticadas. Sin embargo, sólo en los últimos años se ha empezado a estudiar la participación cuantitativa de ambos tipos de mecanismos en la absorción "in vivo", utilizando animales adultos. Dado que, a lo largo del crecimiento, se producen cambios morfológicos y fisiológicos en los animales, nos ha parecido interesante estudiar la participación de los distintos mecanismos en la absorción de azúcares por animales de diferentes edades, tanto en el yeyuno como en el íleon, así como la influencia de la concentración de sodio en el medio de perfusión, intentando establecer, si lo hay, distinto papel en la fisiología de la absorción de dichos tramos intestinales. Otro punto interesante, objeto de nuestro trabajo, era el estudiar si el sustrato que se absorbe por mecanismos pasivos, lo hace exclusiva o principalmente por ruta transcelular o si en parte por ruta paracelular a través de las uniones estrechas. Por último, y dado que la absorción es un fenómeno de superficie, se estudiará la morfología de las vellosidades intestinales del yeyuno e microíleon de los animales utilizados

Induced systemic resistance against Botrytis cinerea by Micromonospora strains isolated from root nodules

This article is part of the Research Topic: Harnessing useful rhizosphere microorganisms for pathogen and pest biocontrol.-- Edited by: Aurelio Ciancio, Corné M. J. Pieterse and Jesús Mercado-Blanco.Micromonospora is a Gram positive bacterium that can be isolated from nitrogen fixing nodules from healthy leguminous plants, where they could be beneficial to the plant. Their plant growth promoting activity in legume and non-legume plants has been previously demonstrated. The present study explores the ability of Micromonospora strains to control fungal pathogens and to stimulate plant immunity. Micromonospora strains isolated from surface sterilized nodules of alfalfa showed in vitro antifungal activity against several pathogenic fungi. Moreover, root inoculation of tomato plants with these Micromonospora strains effectively reduced leaf infection by the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea, despite spatial separation between both microorganisms. This induced systemic resistance, confirmed in different tomato cultivars, is long lasting. Gene expression analyses evidenced that Micromonospora stimulates the plant capacity to activate defense mechanisms upon pathogen attack. The defensive response of tomato plants inoculated with Micromonospora spp. differs from that of non-inoculated plants, showing a stronger induction of jasmonate-regulated defenses when the plant is challenged with a pathogen. The hypothesis of jasmonates playing a key role in this defense priming effect was confirmed using defense-impaired tomato mutants, since the JA-deficient line def1 was unable to display a long term induced resistance upon Micromonospora spp. inoculation. In conclusion, nodule isolated Micromonospora strains should be considered excellent candidates as biocontrol agents as they combine both direct antifungal activity against plant pathogens and the ability to prime plant immunity.This work was supported by MICINN Grant AGL2010-17380 and AGL-2012-39923. Fellowship from CSIC JAE-PREPeer reviewe

Melanogenesis and hypopigmentation: the case of vitiligo

Melanocytes are highly specialized dendritic cells that synthesize and store melanin in subcellular organelles called melanosomes, before transfer to keratinocytes. Melanin is a complex pigment that provides colour and photoprotection to the skin, hair and eyes. The process of synthesis of melanin is called melanogenesis and is regulated by various mechanisms and factors such as genetic, environmental and endocrine factors. The knowledge of the pigmentation process is important to understand hypopigmentation disorders such as vitiligo and also to design adequate treatments. In the present work, we review the signalling pathways involved in vitiligo. Finally, current therapies and treatments including topical, oral and phototherapies are discussed and described, emphasizing future therapies based on different pigmentation mechanisms

Innovative Strategies for Photoallergy Assessment: Breaking Free from Animal Models in Cosmetic Ingredient Development

Photoallergy, a unique form of skin sensitization induced by specific compounds underultraviolet irradiation, has traditionally been investigated using animals. However, the prohibition ofanimal testing for the assessment of cosmetic ingredients in Europe and other countries underscoresthe necessity for in vitro or in silico alternative methods. Currently, there are no validated methods forassessing photoallergy or photosensitization, presenting a significant challenge in the development ofnew cosmetic ingredients. This review examines the landscape of alternative methods for detectingphotosensitization, emphasizing recent publications, and considering the underlying principles ofthe different proposed assays.</p