Saja Hamed

Skin‐lightening practice among women living in Jordan: prevalence, determinants, and user’s awareness

Background  The use and misuse of skin‐lightening products among women living in Arab communities have not been documented previously. This study investigates the determinants, the prevalence and users awareness associated with the use and misuse of skin‐lightening products among women living in Jordan.

Skin lightening practices: an epidemiological study of South African women of African and Indian ancestries

Cutaneous adverse sequelae of skin lightening creams present with myriad skin complications and affect dermatology practice, particularly in sub‐Saharan Africa where such products are widely used, with a prevalence of 25–67%.

Women's perceptions of the benefits and risks of skin-lightening creams in two South African communities

Skin‐lightening products are commonly used by black communities in South Africa and worldwide. This practice has deep historical and cultural roots and is associated with adverse cutaneous effects.

Modulation of buspirone HCl release from hypromellose matrices using chitosan succinate: implications for pH-independent release.

Chitosan succinate (CS) was synthesized through the acylation of chitosan with succinic anhydride. The interaction of CS with buspirone HCl (BUSP) was evaluated using dialysis experiments and shown to result in complex with a stability constant of 2.26 mM and a capacity of 0.0362 micromol BUSP/mg CS. The extent of complexation upon dry and wet mixing of CS and BUSP was determined quantitatively using differential scanning calorimetry. The extent of the interaction was highest in wet mixtures and was found to be dependent on the pH of the granulation liquid. CS was incorporated in BUSP-containing hypromellose (HPMC) tablets using dry mixing and wet granulation with BUSP. Tablet dissolution was tested in 0.1N HCl and phosphate buffer, pH 6.8. According to f(2) and mean dissolution time results, the similarity of profiles increased as CS content increased with the highest f(2) value observed when CS was wet granulated with BUSP. Dissolution was also tested in deionized water and 5% NaCl; where increased ionic strength resulted in faster dissolution suggesting an ion exchange involvement in drug release. CS was proved effective in modulating BUSP release from HPMC matrices for pH-independent release through ionic complex formation.

Effects of Thermal Curing Conditions on Drug Release from Polyvinyl Acetate–Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone Matrices

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dry and humid heat curing on the physical and drug release properties of polyvinyl acetate–polyvinyl pyrrolidone matrices. Both conditions resulted in increased tablet hardness; tablets stored under humid conditions showed high plasticity and deformed during hardness testing. Release from the matrices was dependent on the fillers type and level. Release profiles showed significant changes, as a result of exposure to thermal stress, none of the fillers used stabilized matrices against these changes. Density of neat polymeric compacts increased upon exposure to heat; the effect of humid heat was more evident than dry heat. Thermograms of samples cured under dry heat did not show changes, while those of samples stored under high humidity showed significant enlargement of the dehydration endotherm masking the glass transition of polyvinyl acetate. The change of the physical and release properties of matrices could be explained by the hygroscopic nature of polyvinyl pyrrolidone causing water uptake; absorbed water then acts as a plasticizer of polyvinyl acetate promoting plastic flow, deformation, and coalescence of particles, and altering the matrices internal structure. Results suggest that humid heat is more effective as a curing environment than dry heat for polyvinyl acetate–polyvinyl pyrrolidone matrices.

Construction, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of an in-house conductance meter for measurement of skin hydration

Different probes are used in dermato-cosmetic research to measure the electrical properties of the skin. The principle governing the choice of the geometry and material of the measuring probe is not well defined in the literature and some devices measuring principles are not accessible for the scientific community. The purpose of this work was to develop a simple inexpensive conductance meter for the objective in vivo evaluation of skin hydration. The conductance meter probe was designed using the basic equation governing wave propagation along Transverse Electromagnetic transmission lines. It consisted of two concentric copper circular electrodes printed on FR4 dielectric material. The performance of the probe was validated by evaluating its measurement depth, its ability to monitor in vitro water sorption-desorption and in vivo skin hydration effect in comparison to that of the Corneometer CM 825. The measurement depth of the probe, 15 μm, was comparable to that of CM 825. The in vitro readings of the probe correlated strongly with the amount of water adsorbed on filter paper. Skin hydration after application of a moisturizer was monitored effectively by the new probe with good correlation to the results of CM 825. In conclusion, a simple probe for evaluating skin hydration was made from off-the-shelf materials and its performance was validated in comparison to a commercially available probe.

Does massage postapplication improve moisturizer’s efficacy? A 2-week regression study

Background  Combining massage with moisturizer application is a popular technique in beauty spa sessions. The subjective positive psychological effects of massage with moisturizer application in hand and face beauty treatment are documented by many people attending spa sessions. The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the effect of local effleurage massage as an external intervention on moisturizer efficacy.

Short-term and long-term effects of electrical stimulation on skin properties.

BACKGROUND Electrical stimulation (ES) has been used in treating different medical conditions; however, not much is known about the effect of this application on skin properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the short-term and long-term effects of ES on biophysical properties of the skin. METHODS A pretest-posttest control design was used in the study. Thirteen men (N = 13, age (M ± SD), 19 ± 5.6 years) were free of skin abnormality on the volar aspect of both forearms. Four areas were allocated and marked with a layout template of two circles 2 cm in diameter and 2 cm apart. Areas 1 and 2 were allocated on the experimental forearm and area 3 and 4 on the control forearm. ES was applied for 15 minutes with two rubber electrodes 8 cm apart surrounding areas 1 and 2 on the experimental forearm three times a week for 2 weeks. Skin properties including transepidermal water loss (TEWL), melanin content, erythema, elasticity and pH were measured pre-ES, during ES and post-ES, and after 2 weeks of applying ES to find out the short-term and long-term effects on skin. RESULTS The TEWL was increased during ES at 7, 15 and 15-minutes post-ES compared with the baseline (p < 0.01) and to the control forearm (p = 0.04) measurements, and no increase have been noticed of TEWL on the control forearm (p = 0.11). Also, we found no difference in the other skin properties (p > 0.05) on both forearms, and there were no long-term effects (p > 0.05) in any tested variable. CONCLUSION Electrical stimulation caused temporary increase in TEWL with no effects on other skin properties.

Inhibitory effects of methanol extracts of selected plants on the proliferation of two human melanoma cell lines

Purpose : To investigate the in vitro antiproliferative activity of methanol extracts of six plants regardless of their claimed ethnopharmacological application. Methods : Methanol extracts of different parts of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. Licorice), Matricaria chamomilla L. (Chamomile), Salvia triloba L. (Sage), Rheum palmatum L. (Rhubarb), Trigonella foenum-graecum L (Fenugreek) and Sambucus ebulus L. (Dwarf Elder)were prepared. The antiproliferative effects of the extracts weretestedon two skin cancer melanoma cell lines namely A375.S2 (low tyrosinase expression) and WM 136.1A (high tyrosinase expression) using MTT assay.The IC50 values for the active extracts were determined against the two melanoma cell lines. Results : The methanol extracts of G. glabra, M. chamomilla, S.triloba, R. palmatum inhibited the melanotic WM1361A proliferation in a dose-dependent manner revealing IC50 values of 35.2, 25.2, 20.6, 17.8, μg/ml, respectively but not A375.S2 cell line. However, the extracts of T. foenum-graecum and S. ebulus did not exhibit any significant cytotoxic activity on both melanoma cell lines. Conclusion : Methanol extracts of Licorice, Chamomile, Sage and Rhubarb have significant antiproliferative activity on WM1361A cell line; a representative human melanotic melanocyte tumor cell line. This renders these plants as potential sources of new lead compounds for the development of new drugs for melanoma cancer. Keywords : Melanoma, Plant extract, tyrosinase, Licorice, Chamomile, Sage, Rhubarb, WM1361A.