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Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces Sep 2022Nowadays, there is a growing demand for effective cosmetic skincare products that can address the specific skin problems of consumers. Delivery systems play an important... (Review)
Review
Nowadays, there is a growing demand for effective cosmetic skincare products that can address the specific skin problems of consumers. Delivery systems play an important role in the effective action of cosmetic skincare formulations. Delivery systems are attractive and smart technologies used as carriers for cosmetic ingredients, which are sensitive to various physical factors such as light, oxygen, pH and temperature. Delivery systems offer several advantages: transport and protection of sensitive active compounds, controlled and targeted release of active ingredients. Several delivery systems, varying in chemical composition, with adaptable physicochemical characteristics (size, morphology, zeta potential, structure) as well as great advantages as carriers, are developed and described in the literature. This article reviews the current cosmetic active ingredients used in skincare products due to their beneficial properties such as antioxidant, anti-aging, photo-protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, etc.). In addition, the main advantages of several classes of delivery systems (emulsions, lipid nanoparticles, polymeric particles) are described, as well as some recent approaches used to ensure their efficacy (long-term stability, controlled release of the active, skin penetration/permeation) are reviewed. Finally, new trends to be considered for the development of delivery systems and cosmetic formulations are discussed.
Topics: Cosmetics; Drug Compounding; Drug Delivery Systems; Liposomes; Nanoparticles; Skin; Skin Care
PubMed: 35797773
DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112676 -
Nutrients Jun 2021Creatine is one of the most studied and popular ergogenic aids for athletes and recreational weightlifters seeking to improve sport and exercise performance, augment... (Review)
Review
Creatine is one of the most studied and popular ergogenic aids for athletes and recreational weightlifters seeking to improve sport and exercise performance, augment exercise training adaptations, and mitigate recovery time. Studies consistently reveal that creatine supplementation exerts positive ergogenic effects on single and multiple bouts of short-duration, high-intensity exercise activities, in addition to potentiating exercise training adaptations. In this respect, supplementation consistently demonstrates the ability to enlarge the pool of intracellular creatine, leading to an amplification of the cell's ability to resynthesize adenosine triphosphate. This intracellular expansion is associated with several performance outcomes, including increases in maximal strength (low-speed strength), maximal work output, power production (high-speed strength), sprint performance, and fat-free mass. Additionally, creatine supplementation may speed up recovery time between bouts of intense exercise by mitigating muscle damage and promoting the faster recovery of lost force-production potential. Conversely, contradictory findings exist in the literature regarding the potential ergogenic benefits of creatine during intermittent and continuous endurance-type exercise, as well as in those athletic tasks where an increase in body mass may hinder enhanced performance. The purpose of this review was to summarize the existing literature surrounding the efficacy of creatine supplementation on exercise and sports performance, along with recovery factors in healthy populations.
Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Athletes; Athletic Performance; Creatine; Databases, Factual; Dietary Supplements; Exercise; Humans; Muscle, Skeletal; Performance-Enhancing Substances
PubMed: 34199588
DOI: 10.3390/nu13061915 -
Journal of Preventive Medicine and... Jun 2022Lipedema is a chronic disease that mostly manifests in females as the abnormal distribution of subcutaneous adipose connective tissue, usually coupled with bruising,... (Review)
Review
Lipedema is a chronic disease that mostly manifests in females as the abnormal distribution of subcutaneous adipose connective tissue, usually coupled with bruising, pain, and edema. Lipedema molecular pathophysiology is currently not clear, but several studies suggest that genetics and hormonal imbalance participate in lipedema pathogenesis. Women with lipedema present in some cases with elevated body mass index, and the appearance of obesity in addition to lipedema, where the obesity can cause serious health issues as in lipedema-free individuals with obesity, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Unlike obesity, lipedema tissue does not respond well to diet or physical exercise alone. Therefore, in this review we discuss the effect of various dietary supplements that, along with diet and physical exercise, cause fat burning and weight loss, and which could potentially be important in the treatment of lipedema. Indeed, an effective fat burner should convert stored fats into energy, mobilize and break down triglycerides in adipocytes, boost metabolism and inhibit lipogenesis. Common ingredients of fat burning supplements are green tea, caffeine, chromium, carnitine, and conjugated linoleic acid. The use of fat burners could act synergistically with a healthy diet and physical exercise for decreasing adipose tissue deposition in patients with lipedema and resolve related health issues. The effects of fat burners in human studies are sometimes contradictory, and further studies should test their effectiveness in treating lipedema.
Topics: Humans; Female; Exercise; Dietary Supplements; Obesity
PubMed: 36479502
DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2S3.2758 -
International Journal of Sport... Dec 2015Nutritional supplementation is a common practice among athletes, with creatine and caffeine among the most commonly used ergogenic aids. Hundreds of studies have... (Review)
Review
Nutritional supplementation is a common practice among athletes, with creatine and caffeine among the most commonly used ergogenic aids. Hundreds of studies have investigated the ergogenic potential of creatine supplementation, with consistent improvements in strength and power reported for exercise bouts of short duration (≤ 30 s) and high intensity. Caffeine has been shown to improve endurance exercise performance, but results are mixed in the context of strength and sprint performance. Further, there is conflicting evidence from studies comparing the ergogenic effects of coffee and caffeine anhydrous supplementation. Previous research has identified independent mechanisms by which creatine and caffeine may improve strength and sprint performance, leading to the formulation of multi-ingredient supplements containing both ingredients. Although scarce, research has suggested that caffeine ingestion may blunt the ergogenic effect of creatine. While a pharmacokinetic interaction is unlikely, authors have suggested that this effect may be explained by opposing effects on muscle relaxation time or gastrointestinal side effects from simultaneous consumption. The current review aims to evaluate the ergogenic potential of creatine and caffeine in the context of high-intensity exercise. Research directly comparing coffee and caffeine anhydrous is discussed, along with previous studies evaluating the concurrent supplementation of creatine and caffeine.
Topics: Athletes; Athletic Performance; Caffeine; Coffee; Creatine; Dietary Supplements; Exercise; Humans; Performance-Enhancing Substances; Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
PubMed: 26219105
DOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.2014-0193 -
Biomolecules Jun 2019Reduced levels of physical activity in people's daily lives cause the development of metabolic syndromes or age-related disorders. Chronic inflammation is now understood... (Review)
Review
Reduced levels of physical activity in people's daily lives cause the development of metabolic syndromes or age-related disorders. Chronic inflammation is now understood to be an underlying pathological condition in which inflammatory cells such as neutrophils and monocyte/macrophages infiltrate into fat and other tissues and accumulate when people become obese due to overeating and/or physical inactivity. Pro-inflammatory mediators such as cytokines that are secreted in excess from inflammatory cells will not only lead to the development of arteriosclerosis when they chronically affect blood vessels but also bring tissue degeneration and/or dysfunction to various organs. Chronic inflammation is also involved in sarcopenia that brings hypofunction in the elderly, dementia, osteoporosis, or cancer and negatively affects many chronic diseases and people's healthy life expectancy. In this paper, outlines of such studies are introduced in terms of homeostatic inflammation, which occurs chronically due to the innate immune system and its abnormalities, while focusing on the efficacy of exercise from aspects of immunology and oxidative stress. The preventative effects of functional food ingredients in combination with exercise are also introduced and described. The challenges and future directions in understanding the role of exercise in the control of chronic inflammation are discussed.
Topics: Chronic Disease; Exercise; Humans; Inflammation
PubMed: 31181700
DOI: 10.3390/biom9060223 -
Clinical & Developmental Immunology 2013Five years ago, we reported the identification and characterization of several regulatory T-cell epitopes (now called Tregitopes) that were discovered in the heavy and... (Review)
Review
Five years ago, we reported the identification and characterization of several regulatory T-cell epitopes (now called Tregitopes) that were discovered in the heavy and light chains of IgG (De Groot et al. Blood, 2008). When added ex vivo to human PBMCs, these Tregitopes activated regulatory T cells (Tregs), increased expression of the transcription factor FoxP3, and induced IL-10 expression in CD4(+) T cells. We have now shown that coadministration of the Tregitopes in vivo, in a number of different murine models of autoimmune disease, can suppress immune responses to antigen in an antigen-specific manner, and that this response is mediated by Tregs. In addition we have shown that, although these are generally promiscuous epitopes, the activity of individual Tregitope peptides is restricted by HLA. In this brief report, we provide an overview of the effects of Tregitopes in vivo, discuss potential applications, and suggest that Tregitopes may represent one of the "active pharmaceutical ingredients" of IVIg. Tregitope applications may include any of the autoimmune diseases that are currently treated almost exclusively with intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG), such as Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) and Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN), as well as gene therapy and allergy where Tregitopes may provide a means of inducing antigen-specific tolerance.
Topics: Animals; Autoimmune Diseases; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; Lymphocyte Activation; Peptides; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory
PubMed: 24454476
DOI: 10.1155/2013/493138 -
Nutrients Apr 2022The problem addressed in this study is the appropriateness of using different pre-training supplementation strategies and their ability to improve training performance... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
The problem addressed in this study is the appropriateness of using different pre-training supplementation strategies and their ability to improve training performance and psychological measures. The aim of the study is the evaluation of the effectiveness of a multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement (MIPS) containing beta-alanine, L-citrulline malate, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, L-taurine, L-tyrosine and caffeine compared to an exact dosage of anhydrous caffeine in bench press strength endurance, feeling scale (FS), felt arousal scale (FAS) and session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE). A group of fifteen resistance-trained males, weighing 83.92 ± 8.95 kg and having an average of 5.6 ± 3.38 years of training experience, tested their bench press 10 repetition maximum (79.01 ± 12.13). In a cross-over manner, they participated in two sessions where they were blinded to the order of supplementation they were given: either a MIPS including caffeine or caffeine alone. They completed the bench press strength endurance test with pre- and post-training psychological assessments containing FS, FAS and sRPE. Bench press repetition volume was greater after anhydrous caffeine than MIPS supplementation with no difference in psychological measures. These results indicate that MIPS supplementation is less ergogenic and cost effective than caffeine alone.
Topics: Caffeine; Cross-Over Studies; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Humans; Male; Muscle Strength; Physical Endurance; Resistance Training; Single-Blind Method; Sports Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
PubMed: 35565718
DOI: 10.3390/nu14091750 -
Nutrients Aug 2020Old age is associated with lower physical activity levels, suboptimal protein intake, and desensitization to anabolic stimuli, predisposing for age-related muscle loss... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Old age is associated with lower physical activity levels, suboptimal protein intake, and desensitization to anabolic stimuli, predisposing for age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). Although resistance exercise (RE) and protein supplementation partially protect against sarcopenia under controlled conditions, the efficacy of home-based, unsupervised RE (HBRE) and multi-ingredient supplementation (MIS) is largely unknown. In this randomized, placebo-controlled and double-blind trial, we examined the effects of HBRE/MIS on muscle mass, strength, and function in free-living, older men. Thirty-two sedentary men underwent twelve weeks of home-based resistance band training (3 d/week), in combination with daily intake of a novel five-nutrient supplement ('Muscle5'; M5, = 16, 77.4 ± 2.8 y) containing whey, micellar casein, creatine, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids, or an isocaloric/isonitrogenous placebo (PLA; = 16, 74.4 ± 1.3 y), containing collagen and sunflower oil. Appendicular and total lean mass (ASM; +3%, TLM; +2%), lean mass to fat ratios (ASM/% body fat; +6%, TLM/% body fat; +5%), maximal strength (grip; +8%, leg press; +17%), and function (5-Times Sit-to-Stand time; -9%) were significantly improved in the M5 group following HBRE/MIS therapy (pre vs. post tests; < 0.05). Fast-twitch muscle fiber cross-sectional areas of the quadriceps muscle were also significantly increased in the M5 group post intervention (Type IIa; +30.9%, Type IIx, +28.5%, < 0.05). Sub-group analysis indicated even greater gains in total lean mass in sarcopenic individuals following HBRE/MIS therapy (TLM; +1.65 kg/+3.4%, < 0.05). We conclude that the Muscle5 supplement is a safe, well-tolerated, and effective complement to low-intensity, home-based resistance exercise and improves lean mass, strength, and overall muscle quality in old age.
Topics: Aged; Anabolic Agents; Body Composition; Body Fluid Compartments; Caseins; Combined Modality Therapy; Creatine; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Exercise; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Humans; Male; Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch; Muscle Proteins; Muscle Strength; Muscle, Skeletal; Quadriceps Muscle; Resistance Training; Sarcopenia; Self Care; Vitamin D; Vitamins; Whey Proteins
PubMed: 32785021
DOI: 10.3390/nu12082391 -
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 -
Nutrients Nov 2022Immune health products represent approximately 10% of all US dietary supplement sales. Claims made on products to support or boost the immune system are attractive to... (Review)
Review
Immune health products represent approximately 10% of all US dietary supplement sales. Claims made on products to support or boost the immune system are attractive to the otherwise healthy consumer who may or may not be experiencing certain life stressors. The purpose of this systematic review is to critically evaluate the purported benefits and/or potential harms of select dietary supplement ingredients frequently listed on the labels of products having immune health or related market claims. With a focus on resilience, research questions were related to whether dietary supplement ingredients are efficacious in preserving and protecting immune health in healthy individuals; and when faced with a stressor, whether taking a supplement prophylactically can assist in maintaining health and resisting or bouncing back more quickly. Thirty-nine randomized controlled studies involving populations including children, adults and seniors exposed to stressors, such as air travel, intense exercise, academic stress, and/or exposure to winter weather, met eligibility criteria. The studies included eight of the 27 supplement ingredients identified through a market-driven scoping review. Those ingredients used in single ingredient products were echinacea, elderberry, garlic, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and zinc. Whereas some studies may point to evidence for benefit, specific gaps preclude the authors from making firm statements with regard to the overall evidence-base for these products and ingredients and in answering the research questions. As we move toward a vision of health promotion and resilience rather than a sole focus on disease prevention and treatment, further work in this area of dietary supplements is of utmost importance.
Topics: Adult; Child; Humans; Dietary Supplements; Vitamins; Exercise; Biological Products; Immune System
PubMed: 36364865
DOI: 10.3390/nu14214604