Honey, propolis, bee pollen, bee bread, royal jelly, beeswax and bee venom are natural products which have been used in medicine since ancient times. Nowadays, studies indicate that natural bee products can be used for skin treatment and care. Biological properties of these products are related to flavonoids they contain like: chrysin, apigenin, kaempferol, quercetin, galangin, pinocembrin or naringenin. Several pharmacological activities of phenolic acids and flavonoids, and also 10-hydroxy-trans-2-decenoic acid, which is present in royal jelly, have been reported. Royal jelly has multitude of pharmacological activities: antibiotic, antiinflammatory, antiallergenic, tonic and antiaging. Honey, propolis and pollen are used to heal burn wounds, and they possess numerous functional properties such as: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, disinfectant, antifungal and antiviral. Beeswax is used for production of cosmetics and ointments in pharmacy. Due to a large number of biological activities, bee products could be considered as important ingredients in medicines and cosmetics applied to skin.

New cultivars of lavender adapted to arid steppe conditions were developed by the Institute of Rice of Ukrainian National Academy of Agrarian Sciences (NAAS). This work is a part of the characterization process of the new cultivars. The chemical composition of the essential oil of the seven new Lavandula angustifolia and eight new Lavandula x intermedia cultivars was investigated and compared. In total, 71 different compounds were identified. Linalool and linalool acetate were the main components in both species in ranges of 26.14–57.07% and 9.08–24.45%, respectively. They were followed by terpinen-4-ol (2.16–22.44%), lavandulyl acetate (2.12–10.23%), and lavandulol (1.30–3.14) in the case of L. angustifolia and camphor (10.11–12.55%), borneol (5.49–8.71%), and eucalyptol (0.47–7.41%) in the case of L. x intermedia. The oils had a valuable terpene profile—a high linalool content and the substantial presence of lavandulol and its ester. Nevertheless, they did not comply with the industry standards, mostly due to high levels of terpinene-4-ol. Evidently, a high content of terpinen-4-ol is a characteristic feature of L. angustifolia oils bred in Ukraine. Additionally, the LA3 cultivar yielded an oil with some of the highest linalool contents reported in the literature. Statistical analysis and literature data allowed for the comparative analysis of the gathered data. MANOVA, PCA, and HCA marked caryophyllene oxide as another potential differentiating compound between studied species.

In recent years, significant progress has been made in transdermal drug delivery systems, but there is still a search for enhancers that can improve the absorption of active substances through the stratum corneum. Although permeation enhancers have been described in the scientific literature, the use of naturally occurring substances in this role is still of particular interest, because they can offer a high level of safety of use, with a low risk of skin irritation, and high efficiency. In addition, these ingredients are biodegradable, easily available, and widely accepted by consumers due to the growing trust in natural compounds. This article provides information on the role of naturally derived compounds in transdermal drug delivery systems that help them penetrate the skin. The work focuses on the components found in the stratum corneum such as sterols, ceramides, oleic acid, and urea. Penetration enhancers found in nature, mainly in plants, such as terpenes, polysaccharides, and fatty acids have also been described. The mechanism of action of permeation enhancers in the stratum corneum is discussed, and information on the methods of assessing their penetration efficiency is provided. Our review mainly covers original papers from 2017 to 2022, supplemented with review papers, and then older publications used to supplement or verify the data. The use of natural penetration enhancers has been shown to increase the transport of active ingredients through the stratum corneum and can compete with synthetic counterparts.

Facial makeup cosmetics are commonly used products that are applied to the skin, and their ingredients come into contact with it for many years. Consequently, they should only contain substances that are considered safe or used within an allowable range of established concentrations. According to current European laws, all cosmetics approved for use should be entirely safe for their users, and the responsibility for this lies with manufacturers, distributors, and importers. However, the use of cosmetics can be associated with undesirable effects due to the presence of certain chemical substances. An analysis of 50 random facial makeup cosmetics commercially available on the European Union market and manufactured in six European countries was carried out, concerning the presence of substances with potential carcinogenic properties, as described in recent years in the literature. Nine types of facial makeup cosmetics were selected, and their compositions, as declared on the labels, were analyzed. The carcinogens were identified with information present in the European CosIng database and according to the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee’s (IRAC) classification. As a result, the following potential carcinogens were identified: parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben), ethoxylated compounds (laureth-4, lautreth-7, or ethylene glycol polymers known as PEG), formaldehyde donors (imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium 15, and DMDM hydantoin), and ethanolamine and their derivatives (triethanolamine and diazolidinyl urea), as well as carbon and silica. In conclusion, all of the analyzed face makeup cosmetics contain potential carcinogenic substances. The literature review confirmed the suppositions regarding the potential carcinogenic effects of selected cosmetic ingredients. Therefore, it seems necessary to carry out studies on the long-term exposure of compounds present in cosmetics and perhaps introduce stricter standards and laws regulating the potential presence of carcinogens and their activity in cosmetics.

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Enzymes of the cytochrome P-450 (P450) which belong to the family of oxidase enzymes, are present in cells of all organisms and play a major role in the first phase of xenobiotic metabolism. There are several isoenzymes of P450 and associated with them differences in the speed of metabolism: poor-, extensive- and ultrarapid. Nicotine undergoes biotransformation in the liver mainly by CYP2A6 isoform of CYP 450. There are many polymorphic forms of CYP2A6 affecting the metabolism of nicotine. There are also several CYP2A6 activity inhibitors and inducers among commonly used drugs. Ability of CYP2A6 isozymes to activate certain procancerogenic substances present in cigarette smoke makes their polymorphism more significant. Moreover, some isoforms may have also influence on the risk of lung cancer development by affecting the enzymatic activation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines. Metabolism of nicotine, mainly through CYP2A6, has also many clinical implications, from one side connected with the efficacy and safety of the nicotine replacement therapy, on the other hand related to the occurrence and route of several diseases. This makes the type of nicotine metabolism a potential predictor of the clinical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease, addicted to nicotine and those using nicotine replacement therapy, as well as ones taking other medications.The purpose of this work is to summarize the current knowledge about the variation in genetically determined metabolism of nicotine and its clinical significance.

Silica nanoparticles were applied as the carrier of chloramphenicol (2,2-dichloro-N-[(1R,2R)-1,3-dihydroxy-1-(4-nitrophenyl)propan-2-yl]acetamide), and were loaded in a 1% carbopol-based gel (poly(acrylic acid)), which allowed obtainment of an upgraded drug form. The samples of silica materials were obtained by means of modified Stöber synthesis, and their morphological properties were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, elemental analysis (EA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), analysis of the specific surface properties, X-ray diffraction study (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) methods, which permitted the selection of the drug carrier. The two obtained silica carriers were coated with chloramphenicol and loaded into 1% carbopol gel. The release studies were then performed. The release results were evaluated using mathematical models as well as model-independent analysis. It was found that the modification of the synthesis of the silica by the sol-gel method to form a product coated with chloramphenicol and further grinding of the silica material influenced the release of the active substance, thus allowing the modification of its pharmaceutical availability. The change in the parameters of silica synthesis influenced the structure and morphological properties of the obtained silica carrier. The grinding process determined the way of adsorption of the active substance on its surface. The studies showed that the proper choice of silica carrier has a considerable effect on the release profile of the prepared hydrogel formulations.

Melatonin is a hormone synthesized mainly by the pineal gland. Its precursor is the exogenous amino acid L-tryptophan. The basic function of this hormone is the regulation of circadian and seasonal rhythms. As an amphiphilic molecule, melatonin can easily cross biological barriers, which is why its effects can be exerted through a variety of mechanisms. Both in experimental and clinical studies, the cardioprotective effect of melatonin has been demonstrated. Melatonin also plays a role in the regulation of the immune response. In addition, it is particularly effective in inactivating hydroxyl radicals, including the most reactive oxygen radical. Melatonin can inhibit the division of tumor cells by affecting the release of other hormones and substances involved in the process of carcinogenesis. It also limits the process of nerve cell death and adverse changes in the nervous system associated with the etiopathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Melatonin is on the list of OTC preparations (over the counter), medicines available at the pharmacy without a prescription. This paper presents the biosynthesis of melatonin and its metabolism and discusses its physiological and clinical significance in the human body.