Giving Soybean Oil A New Role Health And Beauty
Scientists have reported development of a new method for converting soybean oil into a highly effective bio-based sunscreen active ingredient that does not carry the potential health concerns of ingredients in some existing sunscreens. The new, natural sunscreen agent could replace petroleum-derived ingredients in a variety of personal-care products, they reported at the 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) being held here this week.
It was among more than 12,000 scientific reports scheduled for presentation at the meeting, one of the largest scientific gatherings of 2010.
Joseph Laszlo, Ph.D., who headed the research, pointed out that sales of sunscreens and other skin-care products that protect against the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) light have been booming. Driving the multi-billion-dollar-per-year market are consumers who are better informed about the link between overexposure to the sun and skin cancer and sunlight’s effects in giving skin an aged appearance. At the same time, however, concerns have arisen over certain ingredients in today’s mainstay sunscreens. “One, for instance, is a substance known as oxybenzone that is a suspected hormone disruptor that could contribute to the disruption of aquatic species reproduction.”
“We’re trying to provide nature-inspired skin-care materials that avoid such health concerns and at the same time have fewer adverse environmental impacts,” Laszlo said. He is with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in Peoria, Ill. Sunscreens are among the substances, termed “pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs),” that constitute a relatively new family of water contaminants with potential adverse health effects on wildlife and people. Read more
Fish Protein Link To Controlling High Blood Pressure, New Study
Medical scientists at the University of Leicester are investigating how a species of fish from the Pacific Ocean could help provide answers to tackling chronic conditions such as hereditary high blood pressure and kidney disease.
They are examining whether the Goby fish can help researchers locate genes linked to high blood pressure. This is because a protein called Urotensin II, first identified in the fish, is important for regulating blood pressure in all vertebrates- from fish to humans.
The study is being carried out in the University’s Department of Cardiovascular Sciences. Researcher Dr Radoslaw Debiec said: “The protein found in the fish has remained almost unaltered during evolution”.
“This indicates that the protein might be of critical importance in regulation of blood pressure and understanding the genetic background of high blood pressure.
“Uncovering the genetic causes of high blood pressure may help in its better prediction and early prevention of its complications. My research at the University of Leicester has shown how variation in the gene encoding the protein may influence risk of hypertension.”
Dr Debiec will be presenting his research at the Festival of Postgraduate Research which is taking place on Thursday 25th June in the Belvoir Suite, Charles Wilson Building at the University of Leicester between 11.30am and 1pm.
He added: “Drugs affecting the protein might be a novel alternative to the available therapies in particular in those patients who have chronic kidney disease coexisting with high blood pressure. Read more