Monthly Archives: March 2020

Fatty acids based α-Tocopherol loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel: In vitro and in vivo evaluation for moisturizing and anti-aging effects

Ijaz M, Akhtar N

J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020 Mar 4. doi: 10.1111/jocd.13346. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

α-Tocopherol is a potent antioxidant present in the skin. Its concentration decreases with age. Synthetically available α-tocopherol is viscous, irritating to skin and unstable toward oxidation and ultraviolet (UV) light.

AIMS:

To develop fatty acids based nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) gel loaded with α-tocopherol and to evaluate its moisturizing and anti-aging properties.

METHODS:

Lauric acid, oleic acid, and Tween-80 were used as solid lipid, liquid lipid, and surfactant, respectively. Seven formulations (F0-F6) were developed by using different concentration of ingredients. Most optimized formulation (F2) was selected for further study on the basis of characterization. Dialysis tube method was used for release study. F2 was incorporated in gel, and then, in vitro and noninvasive in vivo study regarding skin moisture content by corneometer® and skin mechanical properties by cutometer® for 12 weeks on human volunteers (n = 13) was conducted.

RESULTS:

Size, polydispersibility index (PDI), zeta potential, and %entrapment efficiency (%EE) of optimized formulation (F2) were found 82 nm, 0.261, -28.6, and 94.88 ± 1.16, respectively. Particles were spherical in shape. The release profile showed initial burst and then sustained release, and release data were best fitted to weibull model. α-tocopherol loaded NLC gel (NLCG) appeared physically stable for 12 weeks at room temperature and showed significant results in terms of skin capacitance and mechanical properties. Rheological assessment showed non-Newtonian behavior.

CONCLUSION:

Fatty acids based NLC proved to be a promising carrier of photochemically unstable lipophilic vitamin E with enhanced moisturizing and anti-aging properties.

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Annatto-Derived Tocotrienol Promotes Mineralization of MC3T3-E1 Cells by Enhancing BMP-2 Protein Expression via Inhibiting RhoA Activation and HMG-CoA Reductase Gene Expression

Wan Hasan WN, Chin KY, Abd Ghafar N, Soelaiman IN

Drug Des Devel Ther. 2020 Mar 3;14:969-976. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S224941. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Annatto-derived tocotrienol (AnTT) has been shown to improve bone formation in animal models of osteoporosis and promote differentiation of pre-osteoblastic cells. However, the mechanism of action of AnTT in achieving these effects is unclear. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of action of AnTT on MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts via the mevalonate pathway.

METHODS:

Murine pre-osteoblastic cells, MC3T3-E1, were cultured with the density of 1 × 104 cells/mL and treated with 4 concentrations of AnTT (0.001-1 µg/mL). Expression of HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) gene was carried out using qPCR after treatment with AnTT for 21 days. RhoA activation and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) were measured using immunoassay after 9 and 15 days of AnTT treatment. Lovastatin was used as the positive control. Mineralized nodules were detected using Von Kossa staining after 21 days of AnTT treatment.

RESULTS:

The results showed that HMGR was up-regulated in the lovastatin group on day 9 and 21 compared to the control. Lovastatin also inhibited RhoA activation (day 9 and 15) and increased BMP-2 protein (day 15). On the other hand, AnTT at 0.001 μg/mL (day 3) and 0.1 μg/mL (day 21) significantly down-regulated HMGR gene expression compared to the control. On day 21, HMGR gene expression was significantly reduced in all groups compared to day 15. AnTT at 0.1 μg/mL significantly decreased RhoA activation on day 9 compared to the control. AnTT at 1 μg/mL significantly increased BMP-2 protein on day 15 compared to the control (P<0.05). Mineralized calcium nodules were more abundant in AnTT treated groups compared to the control on day 21.

CONCLUSION:

AnTT suppresses the mevalonate pathway by downregulating HMGR gene expression and inhibiting RhoA activation, leading to increased BMP-2 protein in MC3T3-E1 cells. This explains the stimulating effects of AnTT on osteoblast mineralization.

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UPLC-MS/MS method for determination of retinol and α-tocopherol in serum using a simple sample pretreatment and UniSpray as ionization technique to reduce matrix effects

Peersman N, Elslande JV, Lepage Y, De Amicis S, Desmet K, Vermeersch P

Clin Chem Lab Med. 2020 Mar 2. pii: /j/cclm.ahead-of-print/cclm-2019-1237/cclm-2019-1237.xml. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2019-1237. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract

Background Our goal was to develop a simple, rapid and precise ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the determination of retinol and α-tocopherol in serum. Currently published LC-MS/MS methods either require complex extraction procedures (liquid-liquid or solid-phase) or do not meet desirable specifications for imprecision in serum (coefficient of variation [CV] <6.8% and 6.9%, respectively). Methods Sample preparation consisted of a simple protein precipitation with ethanol and acetonitrile. Stable isotope-labeled internal standards (IS) and a homemade calibration curve were used for quantification. The analysis was performed using an Acquity I-class Xevo TQ XS LC-MS/MS. Chromatographic runtime was 6.0 min using a reversed phase gradient elution. UniSpray (US) as an ionization technique was compared to electrospray ionization (ESI). Analytical validation included matrix effect, recovery and trueness compared to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service (UK NEQAS) samples. Results Intra- and inter-run CVs were <4.9% for retinol and <1.7% for α-tocopherol, both complying with desirable specifications for imprecision. Bias compared to NIST standards was <3.1% for both compounds. The method was linear over the entire tested range. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) with US was lower than with ESI for both retinol (0.022 vs. 0.043 mg/L) and α-tocopherol (0.22 vs. 0.87 mg/L). Matrix effects were not significant (<15%) for retinol. However, for α-tocopherol matrix effects of on average 54.0% were noted using ESI, but not with US. Conclusions We developed a fast, precise and accurate UPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of retinol and α-tocopherol in human serum using a single-step sample pretreatment. Ionization using US eliminated the matrix effects for α-tocopherol.

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Tocotrienol-rich fraction from annatto ameliorates expression of lysyl oxidase in human osteoblastic MG-63 cells

Kohno K, Yamada W, Ishitsuka A, Sekine M, Virgona N, Ota M, Yano T

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2020 Mar;84(3):526-535. doi: 10.1080/09168451.2019.1693252. Epub 2019 Nov 19.

Abstract

Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is required for the formation of bone collagen cross-links. Inactivation of the LOX gene in osteoblasts by DNA methylation and JAK signaling has been reported to cause loss of cross-links and an increased risk of fractures. Tocotrienols (T3s) have proven benefits on bone strength, but their potential effects on LOX remain largely unknown. Thus, the present study investigates the in vitro effects of T3s on LOX expression in human osteoblastic MG-63 cells. Results indicated that Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction (TRF), the δ-T3 rich oil extracted from Annatto was the most effective and significantly increased LOX expression. TRF treatment decreased de-novo methyltransferases (DNMTs), DNMT3A and DNMT3B levels. In addition, TRF significantly inhibited JAK2 activation and decreased expression of Fli1, a transcription factor of DNMTs. We conclude that TRF induced an increase in LOX expression via inhibition of de-novo methylation and reduction of Fli1 expression by the inactivation of JAK2.

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