Nanoparticles, What Else Are They Good For?

Faithful blog visitors, you'll remember that we have previously dedicated a blog post to nanoparticles and the world of cosmetics dealing with anti-aging products. But perhaps some of you have taken umbrage at our vanity, and so to appease you, we will speak today about nanoparticles and their role in antibacterial products (at which only the unhygienic may take umbrage).
Silver has always been known for its antibacterial properties. The Ancient Phoenicians knew to keep water, wine, and vinegar in silver vessels to ensure freshness. Now in our modern age we have harnessed the technology to understand silver's antimicrobial properties and to repackage it into an even more efficient antibacterial agent. As it turns out, silver disrupts the bacteria's ability to form chemical bonds essential to its survival. Such bonds are the reason for the bacteria's physical structure, so when they meet the silver, they fall apart. How, though, can we make this process even more efficient?
Nanoparticles.
Scientists have irradiated silver nitrate solutions with electron beam technology to release silver ions that then group together to form the nanoparticles in use.

Silver ion nanoparticles 

This is optimal for two reasons: cost and control. Irradiation to produce nanoparticles has proven more cost-effective than using hazardous reducing agents and this can be adjusted to produce nanoparticles of a particular size, controlling their properties. If you've been paying attention to the news recently, you will know that bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics is a growing concern for the medical community. This is why the nifty new technology of nanoparticles has been flourishing over the past couple years. And preliminary tests already show promising results. Silver nanoparticles are a straightforward, nontoxic method active against such bacteria as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, common disease-causing bacteria.

S. Aureus

E. Coli

P. Aeruginosa

If we may reveal our vain face once again, silver nanoparticles are particularly appreciated by burn victims. Antimicrobial gels using silver nanoparticles have been heralded as the best new thing, proving more efficacious than its brothers (other drugs using silver ions in their technology) in its antibacterial effects and to reduce scarring. As a result, many drugs have already been green-lighted to utilize this technology.

Elta - one of the many antimicrobial wound gels using silver nanoparticles 

As we move into the future, it seems more and more is being discovered about the benefits of nanotechnology. We have seen how it may be used to fight wrinkles but not we are seeing how it is essential to the fight against bacteria which seem to be fighting back with equal force against conventional methods. Nanoparticles are the key to the future of antibiotics. 

References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19473014
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100524101339.htm
http://www.silverinstitute.org/site/silver-in-technology/silver-in-medicine/bandages/

andrew

How do skin lighteners work? Arbutin's role in cosmetics

At one point or another we've all seen our mothers or grandmothers dabbing their face with cream. Look inside their purse and you'll find a small container called "Skin Lightening Cream" boasting to "get rid of all your dark spots to make you look 10 years younger!" Have you ever stopped to ask yourself just how these creams can lighten your skin? Well many utilize a chemical called arbutin to aid in this effort. Arbutin inhibits the enzyme tyrosinase - an enzyme that controls the synthesis of melanin. Inhibit this enzyme and produce less melanin, thus making less pigment and lightening the skin.

Structure of tyrosinase 

Simply put, arbutin is a chemical with a glucose attached to a hydroquinone - an organic compound featuring two hydroxyl groups bonded to a benzene ring.

Arbutin - glucose and hydroquinone

Hydroquinone

However, it is important to understand that there are different types of glycosidic bonds between the glucose and hydroquinone that produce different behaviors of the chemical - namely, alpha and beta. Beta is the one that occurs naturally in the bearberry plant from which arbutin is extracted. Glucose residues in cellulose are bound by beta glycosidic linkages while glucose residues in starch are bound by alpha glycosidic linkages. Naturally extracted "beta" arbutin is common among the world of cosmetics while the "alpha" arbutin can only be produced in laboratories. 

A common point of contention among scientists today is "Is new always better?" Yes, we've have managed to engineer an alpha arbutin - but is it necessarily better than the naturally occuring beta? In fact, it would be false to suggest that merely because it is new it provides better suppression of melanin than the beta while staying just as safe as the naturally occurring arbutin. Until full toxicological tests are performed on the new chemical with positive results should the shift be made towards the new alpha arbutin as the most common skin lightening agent. It is in the opinion of Hannah Sivak, PhD that "novelty in a chemical is not an advantage but a problem."

Source: http://www.skinactives.com/blog/2011/04/28/guide-what-is-arbutin-the-most-common-skin-lightener/


andrew kang 

Nanocosmetics 101

Many young women will sympathize with the adage "Beauty is pain," but new studies show that perhaps it should be modified to "Beauty is risk." The applications of nanoscience in gold creams have previously been discussed, and it is time for a crash course for all prospective cosmetics buyers in Nanocosmetics 101.

Nanotechnology has edged its way into the cosmetics scene quickly and expansively. Currently, there are two ways with which nanotechnology is being utilized in the sphere of cosmetics: as UV filters and for delivery purposes.

Zinc oxide and titanium oxide have been used as UV filters in sunscreens. This is not news; the white stuff you see on lifeguards' noses at the beach is just zinc oxide in the form as we've known it: with a white, chalky appearance. Nanotechnology has created microscopic particles of these oxides that retain their UV-blocking characteristic with added benefits. Sunscreen is now transparent, less smelly and greasy, and more easily absorbed by the skin. The Body Shop, Nivea, and L'Oreal have all hopped onto the bandwagon and have released sunscreens and moisturizers using these nanoparticles.

In the past, liposomes and niosomes have been used as delivery vehicles in cosmetics. Nanotechnology, of course, has changed that. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are nanometer-sized particles in a solid lipid matrix. They protect the encapsulated ingredients from degradation Their occlusive properties also make them ideal for day creams. Liquid nanoparticles have also been developed, which have proven even more useful in some cases. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have a higher loading capacity and long-term stability compraed to SLNs as well as boasting better accommodation for active ingredients. For the aesthete's purpose, however, NLCs have been known to give a more whitish appearance as opposed to yellow. For both nanoparticles, increased skin penetration is a benefit that isn't easily overlooked.

As this blog seems to be concerned with adages, let it be said that "Every rose has its thorn." Certain health risks have been speculated with the use of nanoparticles. Fullerenes, which are nanoparticles used in anti-aging products, may be potentially toxic if able to penetrate the skin. Nanoparticles in sunscreens, too, may be able to breach sunburned skin. When shrunk down to a nanometer-scale, certain materials have been known to display new and unusual properties. For this reason, nanotechnolgy in cosmetics has been brought to the attention of health organizations everywhere and are being studied for possible adverse effects. A new law passed by the EU will make it mandatory for products to be labelled as 'nano' if they contain nanomaterials. This should be an indication as to how far-reaching nanotechnology has become in the world of cosmetics.

Of course, these risks are still in the process of being corroborated by researchers and the benefits seem to stack up quite high against the potential dangers. The consumer should always be conscious of the products he or she is buying and when shopping for products labelled 'nano,' must take everything into consideration. Nanotechnology has a bright future in the world of cosmetics and can have far-reaching applications in all fields.













References: "Nanotechnology in Cosmetics". Observatory Nano, Apr. 2009. Web. Retrieved from: http://www.observatorynano.eu/project/filesystem/files/Cosmetics%20report-April%2009.pdf




andrewkang