Mechanisms of Puerariae Lobatae Radix in regulating sebaceous gland secretion: insights from network pharmacology and experimental validation.

Objective: This research aims to explore how Puerariae Lobatae Radix regulates sebaceous gland secretion using network pharmacology, and validate its effects on important targets through animal studies.

Methods: This study utilized UPLC-EQ-MS to analyze Puerariae Lobatae Radix extract and identify potential bioactive compounds. Predicted targets of these compounds were obtained from the Swiss Target Prediction database, while targets associated with sebaceous gland secretion were obtained from the GeneCards database.

Bibliometric Study of Adaptogens in Dermatology: Pharmacophylogeny, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Mechanisms.

Background: Adaptogens are a class of medicinal plants that can nonspecifically enhance human resistance. Most of the plant adaptogens have relevant applications in dermatology, but there are still few studies related to their particular action and co-operative mechanisms in topical skin application.

Methods: Plant adaptogens related articles and reviews that published between 1999 and 2022 were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database.

A cross-sectional study of Chinese women facial skin status with environmental factors and individual lifestyles.

Geographical, environmental and pollution conditions affect facial skin health, but their effects on skin appearance have not been elucidated. This study aimed to describe the skin barrier and skin tone characteristics of Chinese subjects according to lifestyle and environmental conditions using in vitro measurements. In total, 1092 women aged 22-42 years were recruited from 7 representative Chinese cities.

Advanced Glycation End Products in the Skin: Molecular Mechanisms, Methods of Measurement, and Inhibitory Pathways.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a series of stable compounds produced under non-enzymatic conditions by the amino groups of biomacromolecules and the free carbonyl groups of glucose or other reducing sugars commonly produced by thermally processed foods. AGEs can cause various diseases, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, and chronic kidney disease, by triggering the receptors of AGE (RAGEs) in the human body. There is evidence that AGEs can also affect the different structures and physiological functions of the skin.

Salvianolic acid B regulates collagen synthesis: Indirect influence on human dermal fibroblasts through the microvascular endothelial cell pathway.

Background: Salvianolic acid B (SAB) is one of the main active ingredients of Salvia Miltiorrhiza. It has significant skin anti-aging, whitening, and sun protection properties.

Aims: The study aimed at studying the mechanism underlying the effect of salvianolic acid Bon collagen synthesis, which has good anti-aging efficacy and modulates microcirculation.

Effect of the Substituent Position on the Phase Behavior and Photoresponsive Dynamic Behavior of Mixed Systems of a Gemini Surfactant and -Methoxy Sodium Cinnamates.

Mixed systems of the Gemini cationic surfactant trimethylene-1,3-bis (dodecyldimethylammonium bromide) (12-3-12·2Br) and the photosensitive additives -methoxy sodium cinnamates with different substituent positions (--methoxy cinnamate, -OMCA; --methoxy cinnamate, -MMCA; and --methoxy cinnamate, -PMCA) were selected for investigating the effects of the substituting position of methoxy on the system phase diagram and UV light-responsive behavior of the wormlike micelles. The differences in phase behaviors of the selected systems were analyzed by calculating the potential distribution, molecular volume, and free energy of solvation of cinnamates and the binding energies between photosensitive additives and the surfactant. The photoresponsive behaviors of wormlike micelle solutions formed in the selected systems were studied by the rheological method and UV-vis and H nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR) spectroscopy; the kinetics of photoisomerization of -OMCA, -MMCA, and -PMCA were studied by first-order derivative spectrophotometry.

Raman spectroscopic analysis of skin penetration and moisturizing effects of Bionics vernix caseosa cream compared with Vaseline.

Background: The stratum corneum (SC) is the outermost layer of human skin and deemed as barrier against chemical exposure and water loss. Moisturizers have beneficial effects in treating dry skin, especially the SC. Confocal Raman spectroscopy (CRS) was used to evaluate the efficacy of moisturizers on skin hydration and penetration, with such agents posing inherent characteristics of being noninvasive, nondestructive, timesaving, and cost effective.

Statistical analysis of age-related skin parameters.

Background: Due to the increasing interest in human anti-aging, demand for a higher quality of life, and technological advancement, the development of anti-aging skincare has great market prospects. Most cosmetic companies develop products driven by the market or focus on the mechanism of action of substances and the behavior of skin; however, little research utilizes skin parameters and large data methodology to develop skincare products.

Objective: To instruct consumers to purchase skincare products and to guide skincare research toward the development of customer-targeted products.

Poly traditional Chinese medicine formulation prepared with skin moisturizing properties.

Many traditional Chinese medicine compositions can moisturize the skin and utilize in cosmetics. Using a combination of Chinese Medicine Materials and guided by Traditional Chinese Medicine principles, this study selected Echinacea purpurea to protect the skin barrier, Dendrobium nobile to clear heat and promote fluid production, Sophora flavescens to clear heat for diminished inflammation, and Aloe vera combined Lycium barbarum to nourish yin, to together form a "poly TCM moisturizing formulation." These poly plant extracts were investigated and optimized for the stability, safety, and moisturizing ability.

Factor analysis approach unveils the influencing factors of dandruff in the normal teenage population.

The aim of this study was to explore the main factors affecting the occurrence of dandruff in healthy people (nondisease-induced scalp desquamation). This study analyzed the fungal microbial diversity of the scalp in Chinese teenage volunteers and measured scalp sebum secretion, the scalp pH value, and scalp transepidermal water loss. The amount and size of dandruff were measured, and the main factors that influence dandruff in the normal population were identified using principal component analysis.

Objective measurement and comparison of human facial skin color in East Asian females.

Background: Skin color is an important physiological index of human skin that has essential significance in cosmetology and dermatological diagnoses and aesthetics, especially in East Asian culture, where the beauty standard is the whiter the skin, the more beautiful a person is. However, there has been a lack of objective comparisons of facial skin color in East Asian females.

Materials And Methods: Skin color at the cheek site was measured in 445 healthy females, including 362 Chinese women in Beijing and 83 Japanese women in Tokyo, all aged 18-50 years.

Photo actuation of liquid crystalline elastomer nanocomposites incorporated with gold nanoparticles based on surface plasmon resonance.

In this work, according to the characteristic of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of metallic nanoparticles, we investigated the photo actuation performance of a liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) nanocomposite with incorporated gold nanoparticles (nano-gold/LCE nanocomposite). The nano-gold/LCE nanocomposites were fabricated by incorporating gold nanoparticles into a polysiloxane-based LCE matrix via a novel experimental protocol, and characterized by a well-developed SPR absorption band in the visible spectrum range. The nano-gold/LCE nanocomposites demonstrated strong actuation upon irradiation with a quasi-daylight source; the reason lay in that the SPR response of gold nanoparticles performed efficient energy conversion from light energy to thermal energy, and thus offered an activation pathway for the nematic-isotropic transition of the LCE matrix.

Skin inflammation induced by ambient particulate matter in China.

Most published studies on particulate matter (PM) concerning PM and PM have focused on PM-induced effects on the respiratory system (particularly lung) and cardiovascular system effects. However, epidemiological and mechanistic studies suggest that PM and PM also affects the skin, which is a key health issue. In this study, we first reviewed the current status of PM and PM in China, including relevant regulations, concentration levels, chemical components, and emission sources.

Photo Actuation Performance of Nanotube Sheet Incorporated Azobenzene Crosslinked Liquid Crystalline Polymer Nanocomposite.

Crosslinked liquid crystalline polymers (CLCPs) containing azobenzene (AZO-CLCPs) are a type of promising material due to their significance in the design of light-driven smart actuators. Developing AZO-CLCP composites by incorporating AZO-CLCPs with other materials is an effective way of enhancing their practicability. Herein, we report an AZO-CLCP/CNT nanocomposite prepared by the in situ polymerization of diacrylates containing azobenzene chromophores on carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets.

A preliminary review of studies on adaptogens: comparison of their bioactivity in TCM with that of ginseng-like herbs used worldwide.

Modern studies have shown that adaptogens can non-specifically enhance the resistance of human body under a wide range of external stress conditions with a multi-targeted and multi-channel network-like manner, especially by affect the immune-neuro-endocrine system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This review article draws the attention to the relationships of adaptogens, tonics from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and ginseng-like herbs worldwide, which all have similar plant sources and clinical applications. To clarify the sources and pharmacological mechanisms of these plant-originated adaptogens, which will provide useful information for the utilization of adaptogens to improve the human health.

In silico approach in reveal traditional medicine plants pharmacological material basis.

In recent years, studies of traditional medicinal plants have gradually increased worldwide because the natural sources and variety of such plants allow them to complement modern pharmacological approaches. As computer technology has developed, in silico approaches such as virtual screening and network analysis have been widely utilized in efforts to elucidate the pharmacological basis of the functions of traditional medicinal plants. In the process of new drug discovery, the application of virtual screening and network pharmacology can enrich active compounds among the candidates and adequately indicate the mechanism of action of medicinal plants, reducing the cost and increasing the efficiency of the whole procedure.

Reducing the actuation threshold by incorporating a nonliquid crystal chain into a liquid crystal elastomer.

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are important smart materials that can undergo reversible deformation in response to liquid crystal (LC) phase transitions. A low threshold temperature for LC phase transition is advantageous because the LCE material can be more conveniently actuated by the applied stimulus. In this work, we investigated the effect of a nonliquid crystal chain on the reduction of threshold temperature of the LC phase transition by linking a nonliquid crystal side chain, 4-methoxyphenyl-1-hexenyloxy (MOCH), to the network backbone of a classical polysiloxane-based side-chain nematic LCE.

A review of traditional pharmacological uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of Tribulus terrestris.

Tribulus terrestris L. (TT) is an annual plant of the family Zygophyllaceae that has been used for generations to energize, vitalize, and improve sexual function and physical performance in men. The fruits and roots of TT have been used as a folk medicine for thousands of years in China, India, Sudan, and Pakistan.

Preparation of a ferulic acid-phospholipid complex to improve solubility, dissolution, and B16F10 cellular melanogenesis inhibition activity.

Background: We aimed to enhance the solubility, dissolution properties, and skin-whitening ability of ferulic acid (FA) by preparing a ferulic acid-phospholipid complex (FA-PC). The properties and melanogenesis inhibition activities of FA-PC were then elucidated.

Methods: We characterized the complex via differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, solubility, and oil-water partition coefficient.

TRIAD1 Is a Novel Transcriptional Target of p53 and Regulates Nutlin-3a-Induced Cell Death.

Nutlin-3a is a non-genotoxic, p53-activating, MDM2 inhibitor being investigated as an anticancer agent. Although Nutlin-3a selectively antagonizes the ubiquitin E3 ligase activity of MDM2, its efficacy is not entirely regulated by MDM2 levels in cancer cells. Here, we report that the cytotoxic effects of Nutlin-3a are regulated by TRIAD1 via a positive feedback loop with p53.

Isoquercitrin suppresses the expression of histamine and pro-inflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the activation of MAP Kinases and NF-κB in human KU812 cells.

Mast cells and basophils are multifunctional effector cells that contain abundant secretory granules in their cytoplasm. Both cell types are involved in a variety of inflammatory and immune events, producing an array of inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines. The aim of the study was to examine whether isoquercitrin modulates allergic and inflammatory reactions in the human basophilic KU812 cells and to elucidate its influence on the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation.

[GPC Fingerprint Chromatograms of Aloe vera Leaf Gel Polysaccharides].

Objective: To establish the gel permeation chromatography (GPC) fingerprint chromatograms of polysaccharides in Aloe vera leaf gel from the same habitat (Beijing) and different habitats for evaluating the quality of Aloe vera leaf gel products commercially available and testing common adulterated substances.

Methods: The samples were prepared by water-extraction and alcohol-precipitation method. GPC separation was performed on a Shodex SUGAR KS-805 (300 mm x 8.

Intercellular and intracellular functions of ceramides and their metabolites in skin (Review).

The skin consists of the epidermis, dermis and subcutis. The epidermis is primarily comprised of keratinocytes and is separated into four layers according to the stage of differentiation of the keratinocytes. Corneocytes are terminally differentiated keratinocytes that closely interact with other corneocytes through corneodesmosomes, and synthesize lamellar bodies and the intercellular multilamellar barrier, which protects the body from the external environment.

Anti-allergic effects and related active constituents of mung bean ( Linn) sprouts.

The mung bean () is an important food crop with preventative effects against human diseases. The anti-allergic activities of mung bean sprouts of different lengths were evaluated by assaying antipruritic activity and hyaluronidase inhibitory effects. After 48 h of growth, sprouts were determined to have the best activity and extracted with petroleum (PeF), ethyl acetate (EaF), and n-butanol (nBF).