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Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023With the advancement of living standards in modern society and the emergence of an aging population, an increasing number of people are becoming interested in the topic... (Review)
Review
With the advancement of living standards in modern society and the emergence of an aging population, an increasing number of people are becoming interested in the topic of aging and anti-aging. An important feature of aging is skin aging, and women are particularly concerned about skin aging. In the field of cosmetics, the market share of anti-aging products is increasing year by year. This article reviews the research and development progress of skin aging and related active compounds both domestically and internationally in recent years. The results show that, in terms of the research on skin aging, the popular theories mainly include free radicals and oxidative stress theory, inflammation theory, photoaging theory, and nonenzymatic glycosyl chemistry theory. In terms of research on the active ingredients with anti-aging activities in the skin, there are numerous reports on related products in clinical studies on human subjects, animal experiments, and experimental studies on cell cultures, with a variety of types. Most of the compounds against skin aging are sourced from natural products and their action mechanisms are mainly related to scavenging oxygen free radicals and enhancing antioxidant defenses. This review provides important references for the future research of skin aging and the development of related products. Although there is a great progress in skin aging including related active ingredients, ideal compounds or products are still lacking and need to be further validated. New mechanisms of skin aging, new active ingredients sourced from natural and artificial products, and new pharmaceutical forms including further clinical validations should be further investigated in the future.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Female; Aged; Skin Aging; Antioxidants; Oxidative Stress; Skin; Cosmetics
PubMed: 37513428
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28145556 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2023Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory dermatological pathology that affects mostly young people. However, it can also appear in adulthood, mainly in women. It has a high... (Review)
Review
Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory dermatological pathology that affects mostly young people. However, it can also appear in adulthood, mainly in women. It has a high psychosocial impact, not only at the time of active lesions but also due to the consequences of lesions such as scarring and hyperpigmentation. Several factors are involved in the physiopathology of acne and the constant search for active ingredients is a reality, namely phytotherapeutic ingredients. Tea tree oil is an essential oil extracted from (Maiden & Betch) Cheel with known antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, making it a candidate for the treatment of acne. This review aims to describe the various properties of tea tree oil that make it a possible ingredient to use in the treatment of acne and to present several human studies that have evaluated the efficacy and safety of using tea tree oil in the treatment of acne. It can be concluded that tea tree oil has good antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties that result in a decrease in the number of inflammatory lesions, mainly papules, and pustules. However, given the diversity of study designs, it is not possible to draw concrete conclusions on the efficacy and safety of this oil in the treatment of acne.
PubMed: 37371994
DOI: 10.3390/antiox12061264 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2023Dandelion ( genus) is a perennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family. As a well-known and extensively studied genus, dandelion comprises numerous species. Some... (Review)
Review
Dandelion ( genus) is a perennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family. As a well-known and extensively studied genus, dandelion comprises numerous species. Some species have been widely used in both complementary and alternative medicine to clear heat, detoxify, activate blood circulation, dispel stasis, and discharge urine. Multiple pharmacological studies have highlighted its therapeutic potential, including anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-rheumatic activities. Furthermore, bioactive compounds associated with these effects include sesquiterpenoids, phenolic compounds, essential oils, saccharides, flavonoids, sphingolipids, triterpenoids, sterols, coumarins, etc. Based on recent studies about the genus, the present review critically evaluates the current state of dandelion utilization and summarizes the significant roles of dandelion and its constituents in different diseases. We also focus on the reported phytology, chemical composition, pharmacology, and toxicity of dandelion, along with the main possible action mechanisms behind their therapeutic activities. Meanwhile, the challenges and future directions of the genus are also prospected in this review, thus highlighting its pharmaceutical research and practical clinical applications.
Topics: Plant Extracts; Taraxacum; Antioxidants; Phenols; Carbohydrates
PubMed: 37446683
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28135022 -
Journal of the International Society of... Dec 2024Caffeine is a popular ergogenic aid that has a plethora of evidence highlighting its positive effects. A Google Scholar search using the keywords "caffeine" and... (Review)
Review
Caffeine is a popular ergogenic aid that has a plethora of evidence highlighting its positive effects. A Google Scholar search using the keywords "caffeine" and "exercise" yields over 200,000 results, emphasizing the extensive research on this topic. However, despite the vast amount of available data, it is intriguing that uncertainties persist regarding the effectiveness and safety of caffeine. These include but are not limited to: 1. Does caffeine dehydrate you at rest? 2. Does caffeine dehydrate you during exercise? 3. Does caffeine promote the loss of body fat? 4. Does habitual caffeine consumption influence the performance response to acute caffeine supplementation? 5. Does caffeine affect upper vs. lower body performance/strength differently? 6. Is there a relationship between caffeine and depression? 7. Can too much caffeine kill you? 8. Are there sex differences regarding caffeine's effects? 9. Does caffeine work for everyone? 10. Does caffeine cause heart problems? 11. Does caffeine promote the loss of bone mineral? 12. Should pregnant women avoid caffeine? 13. Is caffeine addictive? 14. Does waiting 1.5-2.0 hours after waking to consume caffeine help you avoid the afternoon "crash?" To answer these questions, we performed an evidence-based scientific evaluation of the literature regarding caffeine supplementation.
Topics: Male; Pregnancy; Humans; Female; Caffeine; Adipose Tissue; Exercise; Performance-Enhancing Substances; Dietary Supplements
PubMed: 38466174
DOI: 10.1080/15502783.2024.2323919 -
Journal of the International Society of... Dec 2023Based on review and critical analysis of the literature regarding the contents and physiological effects of coffee related to physical and cognitive performance...
Based on review and critical analysis of the literature regarding the contents and physiological effects of coffee related to physical and cognitive performance conducted by experts in the field and selected members of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), the following conclusions represent the official Position of the Society:(1) Coffee is a complex matrix of hundreds of compounds. These are consumed with broad variability based upon serving size, bean type (e.g. common Arabica vs. Robusta), and brew method (water temperature, roasting method, grind size, time, and equipment).(2) Coffee's constituents, including but not limited to caffeine, have neuromuscular, antioxidant, endocrine, cognitive, and metabolic (e.g. glucose disposal and vasodilation) effects that impact exercise performance and recovery.(3) Coffee's physiologic effects are influenced by dose, timing, habituation to a small degree (to coffee or caffeine), nutrigenetics, and potentially by gut microbiota differences, sex, and training status.(4) Coffee and/or its components improve performance across a temporal range of activities from reaction time, through brief power exercises, and into the aerobic time frame in most but not all studies. These broad and varied effects have been demonstrated in men (mostly) and in women, with effects that can differ from caffeine ingestion, per se. More research is needed.(5) Optimal dosing and timing are approximately two to four cups (approximately 473-946 ml or 16-32 oz.) of typical hot-brewed or reconstituted instant coffee (depending on individual sensitivity and body size), providing a caffeine equivalent of 3-6 mg/kg (among other components such as chlorogenic acids at approximately 100-400 mg per cup) 60 min prior to exercise.(6) Coffee has a history of controversy regarding side effects but is generally considered safe and beneficial for healthy, exercising individuals in the dose range above.(7) Coffee can serve as a vehicle for other dietary supplements, and it can interact with nutrients in other foods.(8) A dearth of literature exists examining coffee-specific ergogenic and recovery effects, as well as variability in the operational definition of "coffee," making conclusions more challenging than when examining caffeine in its many other forms of delivery (capsules, energy drinks, "pre-workout" powders, gum, etc.).
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Coffee; Caffeine; Athletic Performance; Chlorogenic Acid; Exercise
PubMed: 37498180
DOI: 10.1080/15502783.2023.2237952 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Nov 2023The mechanisms of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) and Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) in the treatment of atherosclerosis was examined by combining network pharmacology and molecular...
The mechanisms of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) and Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) in the treatment of atherosclerosis was examined by combining network pharmacology and molecular biology experiments. The TCMSP and BATMAN-TCM databases provided 104 SM candidate ingredients and 813 target genes, while GEO and GeneCards databases identified 35 overlapping targets between SM and coronary artery disease (CAD). From these data, we constructed a CAD-target-active ingredient network, and using Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway analysis, 211 GO terms and 43 pathways were identified, which facilitated the construction of a key active ingredient-target-pathway network. We then constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and performed molecular docking simulations between Tan IIA and 10 key target proteins to analyze the interactions between the molecule and the protein. SM was found to alleviate CAD by reducing the expression of key pro-inflammatory factors, such as COX-2 (PTGS2), MMP9, ICAM1, TNF-α, and NF-κB. Tan IIA was identified as the primary effective component of SM in treating CAD, with TNF and PTGS2 being its main targets. We further validated these findings using in vitro/in vivo experiments. The results showed that both SM and Tan IIA attenuated the buildup of plaque and the accumulation of lipids in ApoE mice. In addition, SM and Tan IIA reduced vascular inflammatory factors expression in ApoE mice and ox-LDL-cultured HUVECs. Furthermore, our findings showed that Tan IIA reduced vascular endothelial inflammation and prevented plaque formation via COX-2/TNF-a/NF-κB signaling pathway. We have demonstrated for the first time that Tan IIA plays a vital role in attenuating atherosclerosis by downregulating COX-2 expression.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; NF-kappa B; Cyclooxygenase 2; Salvia miltiorrhiza; Molecular Docking Simulation; Atherosclerosis; Inflammation; Apolipoproteins E
PubMed: 37713995
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115501