Oral Supplementation with Hydrolyzed Fish Cartilage Improves the Morphological and Structural Characteristics of the Skin: A Double-Blind,Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study

Collagen and its peptides are natural ingredients used in food supplements and nutricosmetics with the claim of providing benefits for skin health and beauty. In this context, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of oral supplementation with hydrolyzed fish cartilage for the improvement of chronological and photoaging-induced skin changes. A total of 46 healthy females aged 45 to 59 years were enrolled and divided into two groups: G1—placebo and G2—oral treatment with hydrolyzed fish cartilage. Measurements of skin wrinkles, dermis echogenicity and thickness, and morphological and structural characteristics of the skin were performed in the nasolabial region of the face before and after a 90-day period of treatment using high-resolution imaging, ultrasound, and reflectance confocal microscopy image analyses. A significant reduction in wrinkles and an increase of dermis echogenicity were observed after a 90-day period of treatment with hydrolyzed fish cartilage compared to the placebo and baseline values. In addition, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) image analysis showed improved collagen morphology and reduced elastosis after treatment with hydrolyzed fish cartilage. The present study showed the clinical benefits for the skin obtained with oral supplementation with a low dose of collagen peptides from hydrolyzed fish cartilage.     

On the Design of Radical–Radical Cocrystals

Formation of radical–radical cocrystals is an important step towards the design of organic ferrimagnets. We describe a simple approach to generate radical–radical cocrystals through the identification and implementation of well‐defined supramolecular synthons which favor cocrystallization over phase separation. In the current paper we implement the structure‐directing interactions of the E?E bond (E=S, Se) of dithiadiazolyl (DTDA) and diselenadiazolyl (DSDA) radicals to form close contacts to electronegative groups. This is exemplified through the preparation and structural characterization of three sets of radical cocrystals; the 2:2 cocrystal [PhCNSSN]₂[MBDTA]₂ ( 4 ) [MBDTA=methyl benzodithiazolyl] and the 2:1 cocrystals [C₆F₅CNEEN]₂[TEMPO] (E=S, 5 ; E=Se, 6 ). In 4 the two types of radical are linked via bifurcated inter‐dimer ^δ+S???N^δ? interactions whereas 5 and 6 exhibit a set of five‐centre ^δ+E???O^δ? contacts (E=S, Se).     

Towards a molecular model for bismuth(III) subsalicylate. Synthesis and solid-state structure of [Bi(Hsal)3(bipy)(C7H8]2 and [Bi(Hsal)(sal)(1,10-phenanthroline)(C7H8]2

The synthesis and characterization of the first bismuth salicylate complexes, stabilized by chelating amine ligands, offers the possibility for detailed investigation of molecular precursors of the biologically significant compound bismuth subsalicylate (BSS).     

Using ultrapure water in ion chromatography to run analyses at the ng/L level

Thanks to enhanced capabilities, ion chromatography (IC) occupies an increasing position in many types of applications. Achieving ideal performances for an extended life-time can only be reached, however, if the IC system is operated in optimum experimental conditions. Among the various parameters that need to be controlled, water is particularly important, because it is used throughout the analysis, from sample preparation to column rinsing, elution, and mobile phase preparation. More and more, devices are included in IC systems to generate the eluent in situ, and ultrapure water becomes the major reagent. Data of pre-concentration of high purity water show that detection limits at the ng/L level can be expected with water purified using the right combination of technologies.     

Simultaneous conductivity and viscosity measurements as a technique to track emulsion inversion by the phase-inversion-temperature method

Two kinds of transitions can occur when an emulsified water-oil-ethoxylated nonionic surfactant system is cooled under constant stirring. At a water-oil ratio close to unity, a transitional inversion takes place from a water-in-oil (W/O) to an oil-in-water (O/W) morphology according to the so-called phase-inversion-temperature method. At a high water content, a multiple w/O/W emulsion changes to a simple O/W emulsion. The continuous monitoring of both the emulsion conductivity and viscosity allows the identification of several phenomena that take place during the temperature decrease. In all cases, a viscosity maximum is found on each side of the three-phase behavior temperature interval and correlates with the attainment of extremely fine emulsions, where the best compromise between a low-tension and a not-too-unstable emulsion is reached. The studied system contains Polysorbate 85, a light alkane cut oil, and a sodium chloride brine. All transitions are interpreted in the framework of the formulation-composition bidimensional map.     

Optimum phase-behavior formulation of surfactant/oil/water systems for the determination of chromium in heavy crude oil and in bitumen-in-water emulsion

An “oil in water” formulation was optimized to determine chromium in heavy crude oil (HCO) and bitumen-in-water emulsion (Orimulsion-400®) samples by transversally heated electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (TH-ET AAS) using Zeeman effect background correction. The optimum proportion of the oil-water mixture ratio was 7:3 v/v (70 ml of oil as the internal phase) with a non-ionic surfactant concentration (Intan-100) in the emulsion of 0.2% w/w. Chromium was determined in different crude oil samples after dilution of the emulsions 1:9 v/v with a 0.2% w/w solution of surfactant in order to further reduce the viscosity from 100 to 1.6 cP and at the same time to bring the concentration of chromium within the working range of the ET AAS technique. The calibration graph was linear from 1.7 to 100 μg Cr l⁻¹. The sensitivity was of 0.0069 s l μg⁻¹, the characteristic mass (m_o) was of 5.7 pg per 0.0044 s and the detection limit (3σ) was of 0.52 μg l⁻¹. The relative standard deviation of the method, evaluated by replicate analyses of three crude oil samples varied in all cases between 1.5 and 2.6%. Recovery studies were performed on four Venezuelan crude oils, and the average chromium recovery values varied between 95.9-104.8, 90.6-107.6, 95.6-104.0 and 98.8-103.9% for the Cerro Negro, Crudo Hamaca and Boscán crude oils and for the Orimulsión®-400, respectively. The results obtained in this work for the Cerro Negro, Crudo Hamaca and Boscán crude oils and for the Orimulsión®-400 following the proposed procedure were of 0.448±0.008, 0.338±0.004 0.524±0.021 and 0.174±0.008 mg Cr l⁻¹, respectively, which were in good agreement with the values obtained by a tedious recommended standard procedure (respectively: 0.470±0.05, 0.335±0.080, 0.570±0.021 and 0.173±0.009 mg Cr l⁻¹).     

Influence de la température sur la courbe de rétention d'eau de milieux poreuxInfluence of temperature on the water retention curve of porous media

This paper concerns the influence of temperature on the water retention curve of porous media. We present a model based on the differential of suction as a function of temperature, water content and void ratio. When adjusted for a given temperature, this model is able to predict the curve for any temperature. The model was validated by several tests on a ceramic (terra cotta) and a clayey silty sand at 20 and 60?°C. The application of the model to data found in the literature confirms its predictive power for a wide range of porous materials. To cite this article: S. Salager et al., C. R. Mecanique 334 (2006).     

A mechanically interlocked molecular system programmed for the delivery of an anticancer drug

The development of mechanically interlocked molecular systems programmed to operate autonomously in biological environments is an emerging field of research with potential medicinal applications. Within this framework, functional rotaxane- and pseudorotaxane-based architectures are starting to attract interest for the delivery of anticancer drugs, with the ultimate goal to improve the efficiency of cancer chemotherapy. Here, we report an enzyme-sensitive [2]-rotaxane designed to release a potent anticancer drug within tumor cells. The molecular device includes a protective ring that prevents the premature liberation of the drug in plasma. However, once located inside cancer cells the [2]-rotaxane leads to the release of the drug through the controlled disassembly of the mechanically interlocked components, in response to a determined sequence of two distinct enzymatic activations. Furthermore, in vitro biological evaluations reveal that this biocompatible functional system exhibits a noticeable level of selectivity for cancer cells overexpressing β-galactosidase.     

Electrochemical study of a nonheme Fe(ii) complex in the presence of dioxygen. Insights into the reductive activation of O2 at Fe(ii) centers

Recent efforts to model the reactivity of iron oxygenases have led to the generation of nonheme Fe^III(OOH) and Fe^IV(O) intermediates from Fe^II complexes and O₂ but using different cofactors. This diversity emphasizes the rich chemistry of nonheme Fe(ii) complexes with dioxygen. We report an original mechanistic study of the reaction of [(TPEN)Fe^II]²⁺ with O₂ carried out by cyclic voltammetry. From this Fe^II precursor, reaction intermediates such as [(TPEN)Fe^IV(O)]²⁺, [(TPEN)Fe^III(OOH)]²⁺ and [(TPEN)Fe^III(OO)]⁺ have been chemically generated in high yield, and characterized electrochemically. These electrochemical data have been used to analyse and perform simulation of the cyclic voltammograms of [(TPEN)Fe^II]²⁺ in the presence of O₂. Thus, several important mechanistic informations on this reaction have been obtained. An unfavourable chemical equilibrium between O₂ and the Fe^II complex occurs that leads to the Fe^III-peroxo complex upon reduction, similarly to heme enzymes such as P450. However, unlike in heme systems, further reduction of this latter intermediate does not result in O–O bond cleavage.