Dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) is a biotechnologically or physiologically important reducing enzyme in the ascorbate-glutathione recycling reaction for most higher plants. A DHAR cDNA was isolated from sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) hairy roots, and its structure and biochemical properties were characterized to provide some information about its expressional and biochemical profiles in the hairy root cultures. The cDNA contained a catalytic motif CXXS, which may be indicative of a thiol-dependent redox function. A fusion DHAR expressed in an Escherichia coli expression system was purified with four purification steps until a homogeneous single band signal was seen in an acrylamide gel, and its antibody was prepared for Western blot analyses. The biochemical results showed that the purified recombinant DHAR had an optimal pH of around 6.0, which was different from those (pH 7.8-8.2) of other plant species. The temperature optimal for the DHAR activity was in a relatively wide range of 30-60 degrees C. It was proved by a real-time RT-PCR technique that the transcription activity of the DHAR was about 2-5-fold higher during the first 3 week cultures than during the latter 3 week ones. The highest activity of the sesame DHAR was detected in the 4 week cultures of the hairy roots, after which its activity was rapidly decreased to approximately 80%, suggesting that the most active DHAR occurred in this culture period. Western blot analyses confirmed that the presence of DHAR enzyme was identified in both cultures of the fused E. coli and the sesame hairy roots.

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cornuside, the components in C. officinalis, showed a significant free-radical-scavenging activity and inhibitory effects on melanogenesis. We report to prove the inhibitory effect of UVB-induced pigmentation in C. officinalis extract through its radical scavenging activity.A retrospective analysis was conducted to evaluate whether studies from three geographically diverse locations have similar response profiles to the positive and negative controls in a standard 14-day cumulative irritation study. The positive irritant control (0.1% sodium lauryl sulphate) and the negative control (0.9% sodium chloride, saline) data from seventeen 14-day cumulative irritation studies were reviewed. The studies were compiled from three locations representing dry/hot, humid/hot, and dry/cold environments (Scottsdale, Arizona; St Petersburg, Florida; and Winnipeg, Manitoba, respectively). Irritation scores were generated by trained skin graders from a total of 442 subjects studied between 1999 and 2005. Cumulative irritation scores were reviewed and compared between study locations. The irritation scores for the positive and negative controls were not significantly different between locations. Temperature and relative humidity variation did not correlate significantly with overall irritation. However, the dryer climate (i.e. negative or low dew point) had a tendency to induce a higher overall irritation level for both positive and negative controls.

Synopsis Two types of permanent waving [digital perm (DP) and croquignole winding perm (CWP)] and two waving lotions [cysteamine‐HCl, pH 9.31, liquid type (lotion A) and sodium thioglycolate, pH 9.97, cream type (lotion B)] were used for this study. The protein content was decreased by permanent waving treatments on the whole, and the degree of reduction was dependent on the hair styling and waving lotion used. The greatest decrease (by 58%) was found in hairs processed with the three‐treatment performance of DP using lotion B. SDS‐PAGE identified the presence of the two most abundant polypeptides, with approximately 48 and 60 kDa, and two large polypeptides, with approximately 200 and 210 kDa, which would belong to the keratin family. Some physical properties of the hairs (tensile strength, diameter, swelling, and elongation) were examined with the permanent waving treatments. In general, the repeated waving treatment and the use of lotion B showed more negative effects on hair care than other treatments. Some morphological changes were observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The most prominent change in the hair surface was observed in the hair specimen with the three‐treatment performance of DP using lotion B. More severe signs of damage appeared on the hair with lotion B than with lotion A. As the numbers of permanent waves increased, the degree of damage to the hair surface increased on the whole. However, there was no indication of changes to the hair surface with one permanent waving treatment, as determined by SEM analysis.