Daily Cosmetic Research Analysis
Three studies with direct relevance to cosmetics and personal care safety stood out: a zebrafish study links phenyl salicylate exposure to myelin damage and Alzheimer’s disease-like phenotypes via ndrg1-bace1 signaling; a nationwide Canadian survey charts decade-scale trends of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wastewater and biosolids; and an electrochemical-computational analysis provides first-time characterization of arbutin-DNA interactions. Together, these works inform risk ass
Summary
Three studies with direct relevance to cosmetics and personal care safety stood out: a zebrafish study links phenyl salicylate exposure to myelin damage and Alzheimer’s disease-like phenotypes via ndrg1-bace1 signaling; a nationwide Canadian survey charts decade-scale trends of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in wastewater and biosolids; and an electrochemical-computational analysis provides first-time characterization of arbutin-DNA interactions. Together, these works inform risk assessment, regulatory policy, and formulation decisions.
Research Themes
- Cosmetic ingredient safety and toxicology
- Environmental exposure to pharmaceuticals and personal care products
- Mechanistic interactions of cosmetic actives with biomolecules
Selected Articles
1. Phenyl salicylate induces neurotoxicity and early Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms through ndrg1-regulated myelin damage, increasing bace1 in zebrafish.
Zebrafish embryos exposed to phenyl salicylate exhibited dose-dependent developmental and neurotoxic effects, including BBB disruption and locomotor changes. Mechanistically, phenyl salicylate downregulated ndrg1, leading to myelin damage and increased bace1 expression, yielding early Alzheimer’s disease-like phenotypes.
Impact: This work identifies a plausible mechanistic pathway by which a widely used cosmetic/industrial chemical could induce neurotoxicity and AD-like changes, informing regulatory risk assessment and ingredient safety evaluation.
Clinical Implications: While preclinical, the findings support cautious use of phenyl salicylate in formulations and motivate toxicological screening and exposure mitigation strategies, especially for vulnerable populations.
Key Findings
- Dose-dependent increases in mortality and malformations in zebrafish embryos exposed to 0.025–1.0 mg/L phenyl salicylate up to 144 hpf
- Adverse effects on monoaminergic neuron development, cerebral vasculature, BBB integrity, with cerebral hemorrhage and locomotor changes
- RNA-seq and validation showed ndrg1 downregulation, myelin damage, and upregulated bace1 leading to AD-like phenotypes (BBB leakage, brain bleeding, increased gfap and chrna7a)
Methodological Strengths
- In vivo dose–response assessment across multiple concentrations with multi-system phenotyping
- Integration of RNA-seq with phenotypic validation to link molecular pathways (ndrg1–bace1) to observed toxicity
Limitations
- Findings are limited to a zebrafish model without mammalian validation
- Human-relevant exposure levels and long-term cognitive outcomes were not addressed
Future Directions: Validate the ndrg1–bace1 pathway in mammalian models, define human-relevant exposure thresholds, and assess behavioral/cognitive endpoints and mixture effects with co-exposures.
Phenyl salicylate, an important industrial raw material, is widely used in plastics, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. However, little is known about its neurotoxicity on wildlife. Here, we exposed zebrafish embryos at 4 hours post-fertilization (hpf) to 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/L of phenyl salicylate up to 144 hpf and found its developmental- and neuro-toxicity. Specifically, a dose-dependent increase in mortality and malformation in zebrafish were revealed. Phenyl salicylate also adversely affected the development of monoaminergic neurons, cerebral blood vessels, and the blood-brain barrier (BBB), as well as induced cerebral hemorrhages and locomotion change. RNA-sequencing results combined with verification data showed that phenyl salicylate downregulated the expression of the N-myc downstream regulated gene-1 (ndrg1), caused myelin damage in zebrafish, and then increased expression of beta-secretase 1 (bace1), which ultimately led to early Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like symptoms, including BBB leakage, bleeding in the brain, and upregulation of the glial fibrillary acidic protein gene (gfap) and cholinergic system-related gene (chrna7a). In conclusion, phenyl salicylate exposure triggered developmental toxicity and neurotoxicity in zebrafish, which has a potential risk for the development of AD. Given the effects of phenyl salicylate exposure to ecosystem, the safety usage limit should be treated with caution.
2. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in Canadian municipal wastewater and biosolids: occurrence, fate, and time trends 2010-2013 to 2022.
Across Canadian WWTPs, 135 PPCPs were profiled in influent, effluent, and biosolids, revealing compound-specific partitioning (hydrophobicity-driven sorption to solids) and higher removal with biological treatment. Temporal comparisons (2010–2013 vs 2022) showed shifts linked to risk management actions, new drug introductions, and the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the need for ongoing monitoring.
Impact: Provides a decade-scale, treatment-type-resolved picture of PPCP fate in municipal wastewater, informing environmental exposure, public health risk assessment, and stewardship of pharmaceutical and personal care product use.
Clinical Implications: Data can guide clinicians and pharmacists in product stewardship (e.g., counseling on disposal), and inform public health strategies to reduce community exposure to PPCPs that persist through treatment.
Key Findings
- Dominant influent/effluent PPCPs included metformin, analgesics/anti-inflammatories, caffeine-related compounds, DEET, and iopamidol
- Dominant biosolid PPCPs included fluoroquinolones, doxycycline, antidepressants (sertraline, citalopram, amitriptyline), triclosan, diphenhydramine, and clotrimazole
- Biological treatment generally achieved higher PPCP removal than primary physical/chemical processes; time trends reflected policy actions, new drugs, and pandemic-related shifts
Methodological Strengths
- Comprehensive multi-matrix assessment (influent, effluent, biosolids) across typical WWTP treatment trains
- Temporal comparison spanning 2010–2013 to 2022 captures policy and usage-driven trends
Limitations
- Number and geographic distribution of WWTPs and sampling frequency are not detailed in the abstract
- Human exposure and health outcomes are inferred rather than directly measured
Future Directions: Link environmental levels to human biomonitoring data, evaluate advanced treatment options (e.g., ozonation, activated carbon), and update risk thresholds for high-persistence PPCPs.
The concentrations of 135 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were determined in raw influent, final effluent, and treated biosolids at Canadian wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to evaluate the fate of PPCPs through liquid and solids trains of typical treatment types used in Canada and to assess changes in PPCP concentrations in wastewater matrices between 2010-2013 and 2022. PPCPs dominant in influent and effluent included the antidiabetic metformin, analgesics/anti-inflammatories (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, 2-hydroxy-ibuprofen), caffeine and its metabolite (1,7 - dimethylxanthine), theophylline (a bronchodilator and metabolite of caffeine), an insect repellent (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, DEET), and iopamidol (a contrast media for X-rays). PPCPs dominant in biosolids differed from those in influent/effluent and included antibiotics (fluoroquinolones and doxycycline), antidepressants (sertraline, citalopram, and amitriptyline), a preservative and antimicrobial agent (triclosan), an antihistamine (diphenhydramine), and an antifungal (clotrimazole). These elevated concentrations in influent/effluent and biosolids reflected their use in Canadian communities. PPCPs dominant in influent/effluent had relatively low hydrophobicity whereas those in biosolids tended to be more hydrophobic, or electrostatic forces governed their sorption. Higher removal of PPCPs was generally observed at WWTPs that used biological treatment compared to primary physical/chemical treatment. PPCP concentration changes in wastewater matrices between 2010-2013 and 2022 were influenced by risk management measures, warnings, the development of new pharmaceuticals, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other factors. These time trends reflected the limited information available on PPCP use in Canada. Continued periodic monitoring of PPCPs is recommended to fill data gaps on community use and release to the environment.
3. Electrochemical and computational studies on the interaction between calf-thymus DNA and skin whitening agent arbutin.
Using single-use pencil graphite electrodes with CV/DPV, the study quantified changes in arbutin’s oxidation signals upon titration with ctDNA and derived binding parameters, corroborated by computational analysis. This first-time electrochemical characterization of arbutin-DNA interaction raises mechanistic safety considerations for a widely used skin-lightening agent.
Impact: First demonstration of arbutin-DNA binding by electrochemical and computational methods provides a mechanistic basis to refine genotoxicity and safety testing of a common cosmetic ingredient.
Clinical Implications: Supports inclusion of DNA interaction assays in preclinical safety testing of skin-lightening products and reinforces counseling on cautious use pending comprehensive toxicological evaluations.
Key Findings
- Electrochemical CV/DPV detected arbutin oxidation peak changes upon addition of ctDNA using a single-use pencil graphite electrode
- Kinetic and thermodynamic binding parameters (e.g., binding constants) were determined and supported by computational analysis
- Provides first literature evidence of arbutin–double-stranded DNA interaction by electrochemical methods
Methodological Strengths
- Integration of electrochemical techniques with computational modeling for cross-validated binding analysis
- Single-use electrode approach minimizes fouling and enhances reproducibility
Limitations
- In vitro biophysical study without cellular or in vivo genotoxicity confirmation
- Abstract does not report numerical binding constants or mode of binding (e.g., intercalation vs groove binding)
Future Directions: Extend to cell-based genotoxicity assays (e.g., comet, micronucleus), delineate binding mode by spectroscopic methods, and evaluate formulation-relevant conditions (pH, excipients).
The interaction between double-stranded calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) and the skin whitening agent arbutin (AR) examined by applying electrochemical and computational methods for the first time in literature. A single-use pencil graphite electrode via cyclic (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques were applied to determine the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters in the absence and presence of ctDNA. To examine the interaction process, oxidation peak currents and potentials of AR were observed prior to the addition of various ctDNA concentrations. The binding constants (K