Significant differences were found for some of the SELS parameters. According to the results obtained for SELS Sew, products that showed to be more effective against aging were V, M, N, T, P, R and L. We think this methodology may be considered very useful for the direct study of the skin surface and may be suitable as a routine method in wrinkle evaluation.

Topical application of natural antioxidants has proven to be effective in protecting the skin against ultravioletmediated oxidative damage and provides a straightforward way to strengthen the endogenous protection system. However, natural products can provoke skin adverse effects, such as allergic and irritant contact dermatitis. Skin irritation potential of Castanea sativa leaf ethanol:water (7:3) extract was investigated by performing an in vivo patch test in 20 volunteers. Before performing the irritation test, the selection of the solvent and extraction method was guided by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging test and polyphenols extraction (measured by the Folin Ciocalteu assay). Iron-chelating activity and the phenolic composition (high performance liquid chromatography/diode array detection) were evaluated for the extract obtained under optimized conditions. The extraction method adopted consisted in 5 short extractions (10 min.) with ethanol:water (7:3), performed at 40 ° . The IC 50 found for the iron chelation and DPPH scavenging assays were 132.94 ± 9.72 and 12.58 ± 0.54 μ g/ml (mean ± S.E.M.), respectively. The total phenolic content was found to be 283.8 ± 8.74 mg GAE/g extract (mean ± S.E.M.). Five phenolic compounds were identified in the extract, namely, chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, rutin, isoquercitrin and hyperoside. The patch test carried out showed that, with respect to irritant effects, this extract can be regarded as safe for topical application.Many plant extracts are used in cosmetic formulations as additives (fragrances, colorants, etc.) or are used due to their functional properties (emollient, anti-irritant, moisturizing, slimming, anti-ageing, etc.). Botanical products are also used in topical pharmaceutical preparations in a wide variety of skin disorders. However, allergic and irritant contact dermatitis and phytophotodermatitis are included among the topical adverse effects of natural products [1]. Members of the Ranunculaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Asteraceae (Compositae) plant families are specially involved in irritant contact dermatitis. Phytophotodermatitis is caused by plants containing furocoumarins, which notably include the members of the Umbelifereae, Rutaceae and Moraceae plant families. Allergic contact dermatitis is induced primarily by plants from the Asteraceae family, which contain sesquiterpene lactones, but other families containing this class of compounds, specially the Lauraceae, Magnoliaceae and Jubulaceae families, can also produce allergic reactions. Besides studying the activity of plant extracts, suitable tolerance studies are therefore required before any possible practical application.The skin is exposed to a broad variety of biological, chemical and physical attacks. Among them is solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation that is responsible for skin damage, which includes erythema, photoageing and cancer. Following UV exposure, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced and are believed to be largely responsible for some o...

The long-term results of this study demonstrate that preperitoneal laparoscopic hernia repair is a safe technique with a very low recurrence rate and low prevalence of chronic pain.

Many mineral waters are known for centuries for treating dermatological diseases but there is little scientific evaluation of the effects of these waters in skin. A total of 17 healthy Caucasian volunteers, including men and women, were enrolled in this study. Two skin sites were marked on each volunteer forearm and irritated with sodium lauryl sulphate at 2% (w/v) kept under occlusion for 24 h with Finn chambers. Afterwards, purified water or São Pedro do Sul (SPS) thermal water were applied to the irritated skin sites, and kept under occlusion for 48 h also with Finn chambers. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was used as a measure of the skin barrier function to evaluate the potential anti-irritant effect of the thermal water on skin. Statistically significant differences in the mean TEWL variations were observed for the skin treated with SPS thermal water and with purified water (P = 0.036). The thermal water reduced the degree to which the skin barrier was disrupted compared with purified water alone in 82.4% of the volunteers. The SPS thermal water is anti-irritant and, therefore, can be helpful to relieve skin irritation and in cosmetic formulations to improve the tolerability of the products.

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Although the morbidity/mortality rates are acceptable, technical improvements must be found to reduce the recurrence rate, in particular for large incisional hernias.

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Efficient stunning is essential for the welfare of animals destined for slaughter. Several studies have dictated certain signs as reliable for the assessment of stunning efficiency in cattle. However, there is still a lack of data concerning the viability of these signs. The aim of the following study was to assess stunning efficiency at a slaughterhouse, studying the relationship between age, sex and breed of cattle and the efficiency of stunning and determining the feasibility of the following signs in assessing stunning efficiency: immediate collapse, muscle spasms, rhythmic breathing, rotation of the eyeballs, painful response to ear or nose pinch, vocalisation and muscle tone of the ears. Cattle were observed immediately after stunning and hoisting onto the bleed rail. Results showed that stunning efficiency decreased with age, was greater in females than males (for animals greater than 12 months of age) and was superior in ‘dairy’ compared to ‘beef’ cattle at all age ranges. Presence of ear muscle tone, absence of muscular spasms, presence of rhythmic breathing, and vocalisation were the most common signs of inefficient stunning recorded in the present study. Recognition of the most frequently occurring signs associated with inefficient stunning will point out the need for re-stunning, preventing animals from regaining sensibility.