• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.37-47
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• 2023

Background: Paraben is a widely used substance with a preservative effect found in various materials such as food, medicine, personal care products, and cosmetics. Objectives: This study was conducted to identify the level of urinary paraben concentrations (i.e., methyl-, ethyl-, and propyl-) among Korean adults and to explore the factors related with the exposure levels. Methods: We analyzed the third period (2015~2017) of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS). R statistical software (version 4.1.1) was used to estimate representative values for the whole population with weight variables to reflect sampling design. Whether urinary concentrations tended to increase as the level of paraben exposure-related characteristics increased was tested and P_trend was calculated using general linear models. Results: Urinary concentrations of all three parabens (i.e., methyl-, ethyl- and propyl-) were higher in women than in men (P_trend<0.0001, 0.008, and <0.0001), and the values of methylparaben and propylparaben tended to increase as the age of subjects increased (P_trend<0.0001, and <0.0001). Urinary concentrations of methylparaben and propylparaben were associated with intensity of exercise (P_trend<0.001, and 0.004), and that of propylparaben was higher in non-smokers (P_trend=0.01). In terms of paraben exposure-related variables, urinary concentrations of parabens (i.e., methyl-, ethyl- and propyl-) increased as the daily average frequency of teeth-brushing (P_trend<0.0001, 0.03 and 0.0001), the frequency of use of hair products (P_trend=0.005, 0.05 and 0.04), the frequency of use of makeup products (P_trend<0.001, 0.001 and <0.001), and the frequency of use of antibacterial products (P_trend=0.005, 0.02 and 0.02) increased. Conclusions: In our study, urinary concentrations of all three parabens are associated with gender, teethbrushing, hair products, make-up products, and antibacterial products. Methyl- and proyl-parabens were associated with age and intensity of exercise, and propyl-paraben was associated with smoking.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.775-780
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• 2024

In this study, a simultaneous analysis method was developed using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography(RP-HPLC) for the main components of motion sickness medication: Dimenhydrinate, Caffeine, Methyl Paraben, and Propyl Paraben. The analysis was conducted after pretreating the four components, utilizing a C18 column with Acetonitrile and H₂O as the mobile phase. UV detection was carried out at a wavelength of 254nm. As a result of the experiment, the values of Resolution(Rs) was well over Rs > 1.5, which indicates that the separation of the four components was efficient. Additionally, the symmetry factor of the components was 0.989, 1.120, 1.256, and 1.280, respectively, showing their symmetrical stability. In the stability assessment, the calibration curves for the four components showed excellent linearity with R² > 0.9991 to 0.9998. Furthermore, the limit of detection(LOD) ranged between 0.017 to 3.060㎍/ml, while the limit of quantification(LOQ) ranged between 0.050 to 9.180 ㎍/ml. The recovery rates range from 98.28% to 101.71%, and repeatability showed precision within the range of 0.447 to 0.550, and robustness confirmed values with %RSD < 2. The quantitative analysis results of this study demonstrated the effectiveness of a simultaneous analysis method for motion sickness medication components.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.111-115
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• 2007

It is inevitable to use germicidal agents like parabens, imidazolidinyl urea, phenoxyethanol and chlorphenesin to preserve the cosmetics. Although effective in reducing microblological contamination, chemical preservatives are irritative, allergenic and even toxic to human skin. So it is needed to decrease or eliminate usage of preservatives in cosmetic products Glycerin, butylene glycol (BG), prorylene glycol (PG), and dipropylene glycol (DPG) are widely used in cosmetics as skin conditioning agent or solvents. At high concentrations, they have antimicrobial activities, but deteriorate product quality like sensory feeling or safety. The purpose of study is to evaluate the effects of polyols on antimicrobial and preservative efficacy and confirm whether using adjusted polyols can decrease the contents of preservatives without deterioration of the quality of cosmetics. Effects of common polyols on antimicrobial activities of general preservatives were measured. BG and PG significantly (p < 0.05) increased activities of preservatives, but glycerin influenced little. It was inferred from the regression analysis of the results with S. aureus that adding 1% of PG increased activities of preservatives up to $2.1{\sim}8.4 %$ and BG improved activities of preservatives up to $1.8{\sim}8.4 %$. The challenge test results for oil in water lotions and creams showed that BG and PG improved the efficacy of preservative systems up to 40 % at a range of $5.5{\sim}9.9 %$, but glycerin had little effect on it. The measured rates of improvement were analogous to the inferences from regression analysis. It can be concluded that is possible to reduce total chemical preservatives up to 40 %, consequently improve the safety and sensory quality of cosmetics with the precision control of polyols. Added to that, using this paradigm, low preservative contents, praraben-free system, and even preservative-free systems can be expected in the near future.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.360-371
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• 2018

Extracts and fractions of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge were prepared and their physiological activities and components were analyzed. Antimicrobial activities of the ethyl acetate and aglycone fractions were $78{\mu}g/ml$ and $31{\mu}g/ml$, respectively, for Staphylococcus aureus and $156{\mu}g/ml$ and $125{\mu}g/ml$, respectively, for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activities ($FSC_{50}$) of 50% ethanol extract, ethyl acetate fraction, and aglycone fraction of A. asphodeloides extracts were $146.2{\mu}g/ml$, $23.19{\mu}g/ml$, and $71.06{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The total antioxidant capacity ($OSC_{50}$) in an $Fe^{3+}$-EDTA/hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) system were $17.5{\mu}g/ml$, $1.5{\mu}g/ml$, and $1.4{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The cytoprotective effect (${\tau}_{50}$) in $^1O_2$-induced erythrocyte hemolysis was 181 min with $4{\mu}g/ml$ of the aglycone fraction. The ${\tau}_{50}$ of the aglycone fraction was approximately 4-times higher than that of (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol (${\tau}_{50}$, 41 min). Analysis of $H_2O_2$-induced damage of HaCaT cells revealed that the maximum cell viabilities for the 50% ethanol extract, ethyl acetate fraction, and aglycone fraction were 86.23%, 86.59%, and 89.70%, respectively. The aglycone fraction increased cell viability up to 11.53% at $1{\mu}g/ml$ compared to the positive control treated with $H_2O_2$. Analysis of ultraviolet B radiation-induced HaCaT cell damage revealed up to 41.77% decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species in the $2{\mu}g/ml$ aglycone fraction compared with the positive control treated with ultraviolet B radiation. The findings suggest that the extracts and fractions of A. asphodeloides Bunge have potential applications in the field of cosmetics as natural preservatives and antioxidants.