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The genus Vaccinium is represented by shrubs growing in a temperate climate that have been used for ages as traditional remedies in the treatment of digestive problems, in diabetes, renal stones or as antiseptics due to the presence of polyphenols (anthocyanins, flavonoids and tannins) in their fruits and leaves. Recent studies confirm their marked potential in the treatment of skin disorders and as skin care cosmetics. The aim of this review is to present the role of Vaccinium spp. as cosmetic products, highlight their potential and prove the biological properties exerted by the extracts from different species that can be useful for the preparation of innovative cosmetics. In the manuscript both skin care and therapeutic applications of the representatives of this gender will be discussed that include the antioxidant, skin lightening, UV-protective, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and chemopreventive properties to shed new light on these underestimated plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Drugs used to treat cancer are most often very toxic. Taking their high doses may adversely affect the patient's health, as a result of which the therapy, instead of helping, harms. An example of such a drug is 6-mercaptopurine, described in this paper. Due to these negative properties, it is necessary to create such systems that would release the drug in a controlled manner only in the vicinity of diseased tissues. In this work, a drug carrier was prepared that releases the drug only in the acidic environment of cancer, due to which healthy tissues will not be exposed to it. Systems that release the drug only in an acidic environment have not been described before and the application potential of such a carrier is very large. Hydroxy double salts are layered materials that are considered to be biocompatible. For this reason, research has been initiated on the possibility of their use in drug delivery. Despite their use for several types of drugs, their potential for controlled release of mercaptopurine (MERC) has not been studied. In this work, the synthesized hydroxy double salt (HDS) material was used as a carrier for this drug for the first time. The effectiveness of HDS synthesis has been proven by such techniques as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Based on the FT-IR and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) results, the effectiveness of drug sorption was proven. The exact amount of drug retained was determined by the UV-Vis technique. The obtained results indicate that the drug is evenly distributed on the surface of the carrier, which is important during the controlled delivery of drugs. In the most important stage of the research, the effectiveness of drug release in response to changes in the pH of the environment was proven. The drug is not released into an environment that mimics healthy human tissues. It is released only after contact with the acidic environment that usually surrounds cancer cells. The low cellular toxicity of HDS and significant cytotoxic effect of HDS-MERC were confirmed by in vitro studies on MCF-7 human breast and DU145 prostate cancer cell lines and non-cancerous keratinocytes HaCaT. Interestingly, coupling with the HDS carrier increased the cytotoxic effect of MERC towards DU145 cells. Such an "intelligent" drug carrier for mercaptopurine has not been previously described in the literature. The obtained results indicate its great potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Halophytes are a group of relict plants found in areas with a high amount of easily soluble salts. They constitute a fascinating group of plants in terms of the high content and unique profile of active compounds, synthesized as defense mechanisms against stressful environmental conditions. Among produced compounds, antioxidants are the most common, as they reduce oxidative stress resulting from soil salinity or excessive solar exposure. Extracts and substances obtained from halophyte species may be a valuable source of active ingredients for multifunctional cosmetic products. Aim: The aim of the presented research was to analyze the cosmetic potential of aqueous (W) and hydroethanolic (70%, v/v, WE) extracts from the leaves and flowers of sea lavender (Limonium vulgare Mill.) and sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.). Material and methods: The extracts were compared for their antioxidant capacity by DPPH free radical scavenging assay, the content of active compounds and the depigmentation potential assessed by the tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Safety of the extracts was analyzed by the determination of cytotoxicity against human keratinocytes HaCaT in vitro. Results: The comparative studies have shown that sea lavender extracts have a higher cosmetic potential than sea fennel extracts. WE extracts from sea lavender flowers and leaves shown the greatest antioxidant capacity as they neutralize ca. 50% of the radical at the concentration of 0,008 mg/mL. The same extracts contain the highest levels of flavonoids (209,65 and 210,77 µg QE/mL respectively). The highest content of polyphenols (886,15 µg GAE/mL) and tyrosinase inhibitory potential were found in WE flower extract from sea lavender. At the concentration of 0.5 mg/mL the extract reduced the activity of tyrosinase by 83.7%. All analyzed extracts were not cytotoxic for cells in vitro. The highest cytotoxicity was observed for flower extracts of sea lavender (W) and sea fennel (WE) as at the concentration of 100 µg/mL they reduced the viability by ca. 22%. Conclusions: To sum up, extracts from sea lavender have a great application potential on the skin and can be used as active ingredients in skin care products with protecting and skin-lightening properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hyperpigmentation is one of the most common aesthetic problems and a target of many cosmetic products. Unfortunately, many of recently used skinlightening active ingredients are unstable in cosmetic formulations and lack expected effectiveness. Moreover, prolonged application of such ingredients often results in side effects, including skin irritation, contact dermatitis, leukoderma, or impaired wound healing. For this reason, modern cosmetology is constantly searching for new, effective and safe substances that reduce hyperpigmentation. The source of such substances are plant extracts. Aim: The presented research assessed the possibility of using pear (Pyrus communis L.) and bilberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.). leaf extracts in skinlightening cosmetics. Leaves of this plant species are currently used mostly as waste material, therefore their utilization in the cosmetic industry might help in more sustainable usage of natural resources. Material and methods: The leaves were extracts in water (W extracts) or water:propylene glycol mixture (1:1,v:v, WG extracts) and compared for their phytochemical content (polyphenols and flavonoids) antioxidant activity (using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays) and skin-lightening potential (using tyrosinase inhibitory assay). Results: Bilberry WG extract showed the highest content of polyphenols and flavonoids among all tested extract (2751,5 µg GAE/mL and 199,3 µg QE/mL, respectively). Bilberry W extracts was the most effective antioxidant in DPPH assay and the WG bilberry extracts was the most active in ABTS assay. The highest tyrosinase inhibitory properties were observed for 1% (v/v) bilberry WG and pear W extracts - both inhibited the tyrosinase activity by 25%. BoThextracts then incorporated in the formulation of cosmetic emulsion. To enhance the skin-lightening potential of the product kojic acid was also implemented in the formulation. Prepared cosmetic was analyzed for its physicochemical properties (colour, smell, viscosity, pH), microbiological safety and stability. Conclusions: Presented results showed in practice that pear and bilberry leaf extracts might be applied in formulations of skin lightening cosmetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]