Ethylzingerone, a Novel Compound with Antifungal Activity.

Preservatives increase the shelf life of cosmetic products by preventing growth of contaminating microbes, including bacteria and fungi. In recent years, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has recommended the ban or restricted use of a number of preservatives due to safety concerns. Here, we characterize the antifungal activity of ethylzingerone (hydroxyethoxyphenyl butanone [HEPB]), an SCCS-approved new preservative for use in rinse-off, oral care, and leave-on cosmetic products.

Mapping the Efficacy and Mode of Action of Ethylzingerone [4-(3-Ethoxy-4-Hydroxyphenyl) Butan-2-One] as an Active Agent against Bacteria.

complex (Bcc) bacteria are intrinsically antimicrobial-resistant opportunistic pathogens and key risk species in the contamination of nonfood industrial products. New agents and formulations to prevent growth of in home care (cleaning agents) and personal-care (cosmetics and toiletries) products are required. We characterized how ethylzingerone [4-(3-ethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl) butan-2-one] (HEPB) acts as a preservative with activity against species encountered in industry.

Hydroxyethoxy phenyl butanone, a new cosmetic preservative, does not cause bacterial cross-resistance to antimicrobials.

Biocide-induced cross-resistance to antimicrobials in bacteria has been described and is a concern for regulators. We have recently reported on a new protocol to predict the propensity of biocide to induce phenotypic resistance in bacteria. To measure bacterial propensity to develop antimicrobial resistance following exposure to a new cosmetic preservative developed by L'Oréal R and I.

Dandruff is associated with disequilibrium in the proportion of the major bacterial and fungal populations colonizing the scalp.

The bacterial and fungal communities associated with dandruff were investigated using culture-independent methodologies in the French subjects. The major bacterial and fungal species inhabiting the scalp subject's were identified by cloning and sequencing of the conserved ribosomal unit regions (16S for bacterial and 28S-ITS for fungal) and were further quantified by quantitative PCR. The two main bacterial species found on the scalp surface were Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, while Malassezia restricta was the main fungal inhabitant.

Efficiency of water disinfectants against Legionella pneumophila and Acanthamoeba.

Free-living amoebae might be pathogenic by themselves and be a reservoir for bacterial pathogens, such as Legionella pneumophila. Not only could amoebae protect intra-cellular Legionella but Legionella grown within amoebae could undergo physiological modifications and become more resistant and more virulent. Therefore, it is important to study the efficiency of treatments on amoebae and Legionella grown within these amoebae to improve their application and to limit their impact on the environment.

Assessment of the removal and inactivation of influenza viruses H5N1 and H1N1 by drinking water treatment.

Since 2003, there has been significant concern about the possibility of an outbreak of avian influenza virus subtype H5N1. Moreover, in the last few months, a pandemic of a novel swine-origin influenza A virus, namely A(H1N1), has already caused hundreds of thousands of human cases of illness and thousands of deaths. As those viruses could possibly contaminate water resources through wild birds excreta or through sewage, the aim of our work was to find out whether the treatment processes in use in the drinking water industry are suitable for eradicating them.

Rapid method for enumeration of viable Legionella pneumophila and other Legionella spp. in water.

A sensitive and specific method has been developed to enumerate viable L. pneumophila and other Legionella spp. in water by epifluorescence microscopy in a short period of time (a few hours).

Development of a real-time PCR assay for quantification of Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts.

Free-living amoebae have been found to be a reservoir for various pathogenic bacteria in aquatic environments. For example, the Acanthamoeba genus renders possible the intracellular multiplication of Legionella pneumophila, which is responsible for legionellosis. It consequently matters to quantify Acanthamoeba cells and thereby enhance our assessment of the risk of contamination.

Total biosynthesis of hydrocortisone from a simple carbon source in yeast.

We report on the production of hydrocortisone, the major adrenal glucocorticoid of mammals and an important intermediate of steroidal drug synthesis, from a simple carbon source by recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. An artificial and fully self-sufficient biosynthetic pathway involving 13 engineered genes was assembled and expressed in a single yeast strain. Endogenous sterol biosynthesis was rerouted to produce compatible sterols to serve as substrates for the heterologous part of the pathway.