The Safety Assessment of Toxic Metals in Commonly Used Pharmaceutical Herbal Products and Traditional Herbs for Infants in Jordanian Market.

The objective of this study was to assess the levels of contamination by toxic metals (Pb, Al, Ni, Cd and As) that may be present in 25 infant pharmaceutical herbal products and 15 traditional herbs in Jordan. Both products and medicinal herbs are currently prescribed by paediatricians. They are available as over-the-counter medicines and are sold the in herbal market, ensuring easy accessibility for parents.

Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence study of gold nanorods and skin elements distribution into excised human skin layers.

Understanding the distribution of nanoparticles in skin layers is fundamentally important and essential for developing nanoparticle-based dermal drug delivery systems. In the present study, we provide insights into the distribution of gold nanorods (GNRs) functionalized with hydrophobic or hydrophilic ligands in human skin layers using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) spectroscopy, confocal microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results confirmed the important role that the surface chemistry of GNRs plays in their penetration into the skin; the GNRs coated with polyethylene glycol were distributed into the skin layers to a greater extent than the GNRs coated with hydrophobic polystyrene thiol.