ArticlePDF AvailableLiterature Review

Use of silicon for skin and hair care: An approach of chemical forms available and efficacy

Authors:

Abstract

Silicon is the second most abundant element on Earth, and the third most abundant trace element in human body. It is present in water, plant and animal sources. On the skin, it is suggested that silicon is important for optimal collagen synthesis and activation of hydroxylating enzymes, improving skin strength and elasticity. Regarding hair benefits, it was suggested that a higher silicon content in the hair results in a lower rate of hair loss and increased brightness. For these beneficial effects, there is growing interest in scientific studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of using dietary supplements containing silicon. Its use aims at increasing blood levels of this element and improving the skin and its annexes appearance. There are different forms of silicon supplements available and the most important consideration to be made in order to select the best option is related to safety and bioavailability. Silicon supplements are widely used, though there is wide variation in silicon bioavailability, ranging from values below 1% up to values close to 50%, depending on the chemical form. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the scientific literature related to the different chemical forms of silicon supplements available and the limitations and recent progress in this field. According to reported studies, among the different chemical forms available, the orthosilicic acid (OSA) presents the higher bioavailability, whereas the others forms have absorption inversely proportional to the degree of polymerization. However, clinical studies evaluating safety and efficacy are still lacking.
331
An Bras Dermatol. 2016;91(3):331-5.
review
Use of silicon for skin and hair care: an approach of chemical
forms available and efficacy*
LidianeAdvinculadeAraújo1 FlaviaAddor2
Patrícia Maria Berardo Gonçalves Maia Campos1
s
Received on 27.08.2014
ApprovedbytheAdvisoryBoardandacceptedforpublicationon21.11.2014
* StudyperformedatFaculdadedeCiênciasFarmacêuticasdeRibeirãoPreto,ofUniversidadedeSãoPaulo(USP)–RibeirãoPreto(SP),Brazil.
Financial Support: None.
ConictofInterest:None.
1 UniversidadedeSãoPaulo(USP)–RibeirãoPreto(SP),Brazil.
2 Privateclinic–SãoPulo(SP),Brazil.
 ©2016byAnaisBrasileirosdeDermatologia
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/abd1806-4841.20163986
Abstract:SiliconisthesecondmostabundantelementonEarth,andthethirdmostabundanttraceelementin
humanbody.Itispresentinwater,plantandanimalsources.Ontheskin,itissuggestedthatsiliconisimportant
foroptimalcollagensynthesisandactivationofhydroxylatingenzymes,improvingskinstrengthandelasticity.
Regardinghairbenets,itwassuggestedthatahighersiliconcontentinthehairresultsinalowerrateofhair
lossandincreasedbrightness.Forthesebenecialeffects,thereisgrowinginterestinscienticstudiesevaluating
theefcacyandsafetyofusingdietarysupplementscontainingsilicon.Itsuseaimsatincreasingbloodlevelsof
this element and improving the skin and its annexes appearance. There are different forms of silicon supplements
available and the most important consideration to be made in order to select the best option is related to safety
andbioavailability.Siliconsupplementsarewidelyused,thoughthereiswidevariationinsiliconbioavailability,
rangingfromvaluesbelow1%uptovaluescloseto50%,dependingonthechemicalform.Therefore,theaimof
thisstudywastoevaluatethescienticliteraturerelatedtothedifferentchemicalformsofsiliconsupplements
availableandthelimitationsandrecentprogressinthiseld.Accordingtoreportedstudies,amongthedifferent
chemicalformsavailable,theorthosilicicacid(OSA)presentsthehigherbioavailability,whereastheothersforms
haveabsorptioninverselyproportionaltothedegreeofpolymerization.However,clinicalstudiesevaluating
safetyandefcacyarestilllacking.
Keywords: Biological availability; Collagen; Dietary supplements; Hair; Silicon; Silicon compounds; Skin aging
INTRODUCTION
Silicon is the second most abundant element on
earth,exceededonlybyoxygen.Also,itisthethird
most abundant trace element in the human body.1,2 It
is present in the water and in plant and animal sourc-
es.Ontheskin,itissuggestedthatsiliconisimportant
for optimal synthesis of collagen and for activating
thehydroxylationenzymes, improvingskinstrength
and elasticity. It was shown that physiological con-
centrationsoforthosilicicacid(OSA)stimulatebro-
blasts to secrete collagen type I.3-5Inthecaseofhair,
it is suggested that higher silicon content in the hair
berresultsinalowerrateofhairlossandincreased
brightness. Nails are also affected by the presence of
silicon,sincethisisthepredominantmineralintheir
composition.4,5 For these benecial effects, there is
growing interest in scientic studies to examine the
efcacyandsafetyoftheuseofdietarysupplements
containingsilicon,whichaimstoincreaseserumlevels
of this element and hence lead to improvements in the
skin and its annexes. There are different forms of sili-
con supplements available and to select the most suit-
ableoption,themost importantconsiderationstobe
made are regarding safety and bioavailability. In some
countries,thesesupplementsarealreadywidelyused,
although there is great variation in silicon bioavail-
ability,rangingfromlessthan1%uptovaluescloseto
50%,dependingonthechemicalform.6,7
However, it is observed that there is still no
consensus among researchers about the statement
that silicon is an essential element for man or about
therealbenetsobtainedfromtheuseofsupplements
containingsilicon.Thus,it isextremelyimportantto
critically evaluate the information published so far
regardingefcacy,safetyandbioavailabilityofsilicon
used in complementary supplements to the diet. That
was the aim of this study.
An Bras Dermatol. 2016;91(3):331-5.
SKIN AGING PROCESS
The aging process occurs by two main mecha-
nisms: intrinsic and extrinsic. The intrinsic aging is un-
avoidableandresultsinatrophy,broblastsreduction
andthinningofbloodvessels.Thecollagenbersare
particularlyaffectedinthisprocess,whichresultsfrom
the accumulation of irreversible degenerative changes
associated with aging.4,8,9 The extrinsic aging primar-
ily results from damage caused by ultraviolet radia-
tion. Other factors related to this type of aging include
smoking, pollution and inadequate nutrition. These
typesofinjuryleadtoincreaseddegradationofcolla-
genandelastin.Also,areductioninthenumberofex-
tracellularmatrixproteinsandadecreaseinbroblasts
are described,8,9 in addition to a reduction of silicon
levels and hyaluronic acid in the connective tissues.10
Collagenandbersformedbyitareresponsible
forthebiomechanicalpropertiesoftheskin,allowing
it to act as an organ of protection from external trau-
ma. They present as essential components of structur-
al integrity of the connective tissue and are present in
largequantities intheskin,bonesandjoints.9,11A re-
duction in the amount of collagen in the skin of about
1%peryearafter21yearsofageisdescribed,resulting
inthicknessreductionandelasticityloss,whichisdi-
rectly related to the wrinkles depth.11,12
Changes occurring after menopause are even
morestriking,includinglossofabout30%ofskincol-
lageninthe rst 5 years and annual loss of 0.55% of
elastin.13,14 The biosynthesis process of collagen after the
thirdorfourthdecadeofliferemainsatalowlevel,in-
sufcienttoallowmatureskintorepairorreplacethe
collagen that has been lost as part of the degradation
processes associated with age.9 The decrease of collagen
that occurs after menopause especially correlates with
decreased bone mineral density associated with age.14
Bythestudyofskinagingprocess,it’spossible
toobservethatthedegradationofcollagenbershasa
remarkableroleinthiscontext.Basedonthis,theuse
ofmechanismsthatinuencethebiosynthesisofthis
protein is as a potential tool for improving and pre-
venting skin aging.
SILICON: A UBIQUITOUS ELEMENT
Considering the abundance of silicon in the hu-
manbody,itseemsunlikelythatitsdeciencyoccurs
in men and women.15
In1972,twostudiesbytwodifferentresearch
groups showed that silicon was an essential element
in chickens and mice.16,17 These experiments demon-
strated that nutritional deciencies of silicon led to
skeletal deformities such as abnormal skull and long
bonestructures,aswellasmalformedjointswithcar-
tilagepoorcontent.Thus,animportantroleofsilicon
inbonemineralizationwasdemonstrated.
Afterthat,severalstudiesshowedsiliconpartic-
ipationindifferentmechanisms,withpositiveresults
associated with higher concentrations of this element
inthebloodinpatientswithosteoporosis,atheroscle-
rosis,skinagingandfragilehairandnails.10,15 Howev-
er,therearenoconclusivedatatodeterminewhether
or not silicon is an essential nutrient for humans and
superioranimals,sinceitsdeciencyhasnotledtocell
cycleinterruptioninmammals,anditsfunctionalrole
remainstobeclearlydened.15,18-20 Most of the silicon
presentinthebloodislteredbythekidneys,suggest-
ingthatthismechanismrepresentthemajorrouteof
excretion and that levels of silicon in blood correlate
with the levels present in urine.21Forthisreason,var-
ious studies evaluate the serum concentration as well
as the one present in urine in order to study the bio-
availability of silicon and its derivatives.
Silicon occurs naturally in foods in the form of
siliconoxideandsilicates, whicharepresentin water
and in plant and animal sources and are found in high
concentrations especially in cereals.18,22 The main sourc-
es of silicon from the diet in the Western Hemisphere
arecereals(30%),followedbyfruit,beverageandvege-
table-derivedproductsingeneral.Together,thesefoods
provide about 75% of the total silicon ingested by man.23
However, there are studies that question the
bioavailabilityofsiliconfromsomesources,duetothe
low solubility of some compounds, especially those
that are polymerized.15,24 Thus, although signicant
quantitiesofsiliconarepresentinsomefoods,some-
times it is presented in an insoluble form and cannot
be directly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. The
siliconpresentinfoodissolubilizedintheacidenvi-
ronmentofstomach,becomingOSA[Si(OH)4],which
can then be absorbed. It is described in the literature
that the aging process is associated with an increase in
gastricpH,which decreasesthe conversion capacity
of this silicon found in foods in the bioavailable form.5
OSAisthemaintypederivedfromsiliconpresent
indrinkingwaterandotherliquids,includingbeer,and
it is considered the most readily available form of sili-
con to humans.19 It is stable when diluted (<10-4M)but
polymerizesinhigher concentrationsinapH closeto
neutral.AbsorptionstudiesindicatedthatonlyOSAis
availablewhileitspolymerizedformisnotabsorbed.25
Questions on the bioavailability of silicon from the min-
eral water are reported in the literature. In a study con-
ducted with rats that received supplementation with
OSAin thewatertheyingested,therewerenosignif-
icant differences in the concentration of silicon present
in bones in relation to baseline.1Inbeer,itdemonstrated
that about 80% of the total silicon found corresponds
toOSA.26However,therearediscussionsinvolvingthe
availabilityofOSA,whichcouldbeunstableinindus-
trialprocessessuchas,forexample,bottling.
332 Araújo LA, Addor F, Campos PMBGM
An Bras Dermatol. 2016;91(3):331-5.
Useofsiliconforskinandhaircare:anapproachofchemicalformsavailableandefcacy 333
Athighconcentrations,OSAneedstobestabi-
lizedsoitdoesn’tpolymerizeexcessively,resultingin
a reduced bioavailability.10Forthisreason,silicon-con-
tainingsupplementsattempt,bydifferentmethods,to
concentrateOSAandstabilizeit inawayto makeit
more bioavailable.
FOOD SUPPLEMENTS CONTAINING SILI-
CON
Different consumptions patterns of supple-
ments containing silicon are observed around the
world. As an example, the organic silicon – com-
monlythemonomethylsilanetriol(MMST)–ismore
consumedinFrance, whileinGermanythe colloidal
siliconaremorepresentand,inBelgium,choline-sta-
bilizedOSA(ch-OSA)ismorefrequent.6,7
TheMMSTisnotonlyorganic,butalsomono-
meric while other silicates show different degrees of
polymerization,whichshouldexplainthedifferentsil-
icon absorption values in experiments with rats and in
some preliminary studies in humans.25,27 Some studies
have shown that it is readily absorbed after digestion
and observed no adverse events with its use. Never-
theless,itisnoteworthythat,untilthecompletionof
theseworks,specicstudiestoevaluateitssafetywere
not conducted.28
Jugdaohsingh et al,in2013,conductedastudy
toassessthesafetyofusingthissupplement.Agroup
of22healthywomen,whowerenotmenopausal,re-
ceivedMMSToralsupplementationfor4weeks,with
the maximum recommended dose of 10.5 mg/Si/day.
The authors concluded that MMST intake is safe and
that it was absorbed. They also presented data to prove
that,afteringestion, thereisconversionof MMSRin
OSA,whichwouldjustifyitsabsorption.28
However,in responsetothepublishedarticle,
VandenBerghequestionedsomepointsof thestudy,
claiming that studies of longer duration in humans
and toxicological tests in vitro and in animals are need-
ed in order to prove the safety of using the supplement
containingMMST.AccordingtoVandenBerghe,these
studieswerenotpresentedin the article in question
and they are also scarce in the available literature on
the subject. The statement on MMST conversion in
OSAwasalsoquestioned.29
The authors of the original study published a
responsethat keptemphasizingthestudy’sndings.
They argued that they used rigorous methodology and
that,intheadoptedconditions, they could conclude
it was safe to use the supplement containing MMST.
Theauthors,however,agreedthat studieswithlarg-
er numbers of volunteers and greater length of time
would be needed for the continuation of research in-
volving this supplement.30
MMST has been used as a silicon source for a
long time around the world, especially in Europe.28
Thissupplement,unlikeothersavailable,doesnotcon-
tainnano-silicaparticles,onwhichconcernsregarding
the safety have been reported.31,32 However, the Eu-
ropean Food Safety Authority (EFSA) considers that
thereisnotenoughdatatojustifytheuseofMMSTas
silicon supplement.19
The greatest number of studies in the literature
evaluatesch-OSA.Thech-OSAhasbeenapprovedfor
humanconsumptionandisknowntobenon-toxic,in
addition to representing the most bioavailable form of
silicon.15,22
Inchemicalterms,ch-OSAisamixtureofOSA
and choline chloride. Given the lack of data about ad-
versereactionstosilicon,arecommendeddosehasnot
beenestablished.Nevertheless,accordingtotheAmer-
icanregulatoryagency,choline,siliconoxidesandvar-
ious silicates are classied as substances “generally
recognizedassafe”.18,19
Thestabilizationwithcholineisconsideredthe
mostadvancedtechnologyforOSAstabilization.Cho-
line has important characteristics that place it in the
positionofan idealstabilizerforOSA, inadditionto
promotingbenetsduetoitsowncharacteristics.33 In
highconcentrations,cholineavoids extensive polym-
erizationandaggregationofsiliconparticles,tokeepit
inanaqueoussuspension.33
Furthermore,aspreviously mentioned,choline
present in the compound may have a synergistic effect
withOSA, since it is well known its participation in
many basic biological processes.33 Choline is a precur-
sorofphospholipids,whichareessentialforthefor-
mationofcellmembranes,aswellasbeinginvolvedin
processessuchascellsignaling,lipidmetabolismand
protection against the collagen breakdown mediated
by homocysteine.34,35
In2009,EFSArequestedascienticopinion to
the Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources
Added to Food concerning ch-OSA safety. The only
objective was to evaluate ch-OSA as a silicon source
andalsoitsbioavailability.Thus,siliconsafetyitself,
in terms of daily amounts that can be consumed and
itsclassicationasanutrient,wasoutsidethescopeof
scienticopinionpublishedbythePanel.19
Based on different studies conducted in animals
and in humans, the Panel concluded that the silicon
present in ch-OSA is bioavailable and that its use in
supplements,intheproposeddoses,doesnotpresent
risksforsafety, providingthatthecholinemaximum
levelisnotexceeded(3.5g/day).
Studies were analyzed both in animals and in
humans so the conclusion on bioavailability and safe-
tywerepublishedbyEFSA.Astudyofcalvesthatre-
ceivedsupplementcontainingch-OSA or placebofor
23 weeks evaluated the evolution of serum silicon con-
334 Araújo LA, Addor F, Campos PMBGM
An Bras Dermatol. 2016;91(3):331-5.
centration. There was a 4.9% increase at this concen-
tration in the group of animals receiving silicon.36 In
anotherstudy, VandenBergheassessed the bioavail-
abilityofsiliconinoffspringof21pigs,whichreceived
ornot(control)supplementcontainingch-OSAduring
the gestation (16 weeks) and lactation (four weeks)
period. In the offspring of pigs that received supple-
ment containing silicon, signicantly higher silicon
concentrationswerefound(150%increase)thaninthe
offspring of the control group. The authors attributed
this result to the bioavailability of silicon in the sup-
plementcontainingch-OSAandalso tothematernal
transfer capability of absorbed silicon.37 The silicon ab-
sorptionfromsupplementcontainingch-OSAwasas-
sessed in a study of 14 healthy volunteers aged 22-34
years. Each volunteer received successive oral doses
ofsiliconfromdifferentsources.Asignicantincrease
in serum concentration of silica compared to baseline
wasobservedforch-OSA.6,19 This study demonstrated
that the bioavailability of silicon is to a great extent
dependent on the chemical form of the compound.
Inanotherstudy,conductedinordertoexamine
in vivo absorption of silicon by evaluating its serum
dosageanditsurinaryexcretion,differentpatternsof
absorption for the different sources used were found.
Thisstudyobtaineddifferentresults,dependingonthe
source,althoughithasevaluatedabsorptioninjusta
healthy volunteer. It was observed that a diet rich in sil-
icondoesnotresultinsufcientbioavailableamounts
ofthiselementthatwouldleadtoastatisticallysigni-
cantincreaseinitsurinaryexcretionandserumlevels,
when compared with the period in which the volunteer
wassubjectedtoanormaldiet.Asignicantincreasein
silicon urinary excretion was observed when the eval-
uated supplementation consisted of tablets containing
dry extract of horsetail. However, the silicon serum
levels remained constant. Only the biologically active
silicon present in solution at 2% silicon in a matrix of
cholineandglycerolwasabsorbed,whichreectedin
thesignicantincreaseofsiliconinbothserum levels
andinurineexcretion.Basedonthisstudy,theauthors
concludedthatsiliconabsorptionisstronglyinuenced
by its chemical form and matrix.
Sripanyakorn et al measured silicon uptake
from8differentsources.Inhealthyvolunteers,blood
andurinesampleswereanalyzedtoquantifythecon-
centration of silicon. The results conrmed that the
degreeofsilicon polymerizationisinverselypropor-
tional to intestinal absorption.7
SILICON AND ITS RELATION WITH SKIN,
HAIR AND NAILS
Regardingtheskin,itissuggested thatsiliconis
important for optimal synthesis of collagen and for ac-
tivating the hydroxylation enzymes, important in the
formationofcollagennetwork,improvingskinstrength
and elasticity. Silicon is also associated with the synthesis
of glycosaminoglycans. Concerning the hair, it is sug-
gested that strands with higher silicon content tend to
have lower falling rate and higher brightness. Nails are
alsoaffectedbythepresenceofsilicon,sincethiselement
is one of the predominant mineral in their composition.
The presence of soft and brittle nails can indicate system-
icdeciencyofsilicon.Byimprovingthequalityofnails,
there is an increased protection against nail infections.4,5
Inastudywith50healthyvolunteers,agedbe-
tween 40 and 65 years and with clear clinical signs of
facialphotoaging, the effect of the intake of supple-
mentscontainingch-OSAtotheskin,hairandnails
wereanalyzed.Thesupplementwasheldforaperiod
of20weeks,with2capsulescontaining10mgofch-
OSAtaken daily.Also, serumconcentrationsofvari-
ous components in the blood were evaluated in order
to verify safety of oral treatment. The silicon intake
under these experimental conditions was considered
safe,sincetherewerenoreportedadverseeventswith
this treatment. This study, according to the authors,
wasthe rstrandomized,double-blind,placebo-con-
trolled trial that showed positive results in the skin
microtopography and anisotropy after the intake of
supplementcontainingch-OSA.Attheendofthepe-
riodofusesupplementcontainingsilicon,therewasa
signicantimprovementintheskinsurfacecharacter-
istics and in its mechanical properties.
Alsointhisstudy,itwasobservedasignicant
improvement in the fragility of nails and hair in the
groupusingthech-OSA.Theplacebodidnotleadto
signicantdifferencesinratingassignedbythevolun-
teersbytheself-assessmentquestionnairescompleted
before the start and after the end of the study.
Anotherrandomizedstudywith48volunteers
investigatedtheeffectofch-OSAonhair.Thevolun-
teers had thin hairs and were divided into 2 groups:
ch-OSA and placebo. The rst group received daily
dosesof10mgof silicon, for a periodof9months.4
Morphology and mechanical properties of hair were
evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the study.
Ingeneral,positiveresultswereobtainedintheevalu-
atedhairproperties,suchasstrandresistancetobreak-
ing,forexample.Furthermore,theareaofthestrand
frontsectionincreasedsignicantlyafter9monthsof
supplementationcontainingch-OSA,whereasthepla-
cebogroupexhibitednosignicantdifference.4
Thefactthatch-OSAhavepartiallypreventedthe
loss of hair tensile strength suggests that it has a struc-
turaleffecton hair bers.Accordingto the authors,an
interactionwithkeratinispossible,consideringthatOSA
is the chemical form of silicon prevalent in physiological
uidsandthatsilanolgroup,presentonOSA,isknown
to form complexes with amino acids and peptides.4,38,39
An Bras Dermatol. 2016;91(3):331-5.
Useofsiliconforskinandhaircare:anapproachofchemicalformsavailableandefcacy 335
CONCLUSION
The analysis of the scientic literature on the
use of supplements containing silicon shows great
therapeuticpotentialofthiselement,asitoperatesin
different conditions of human health and presents aes-
theticproperties.Amongthevarious chemicalforms
available,theanalysisofstudiesshowsthatOSAisthe
form that presents greater bioavailability; other forms
have absorption inversely proportional to the degree
of polymerization. We also observed that ch-OSA is
themostreferencedformintheliterature,suggesting
agreaterscienticsupportregardingitsuse.Howev-
er,therearefewstudiesevaluatingthesafety,efcacy
and bioavailability of the different existing chemical
formsofsiliconthatuseproperdesign,largenumber
of volunteers and long follow-up period.q
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Mailing address:
Patrícia Maria Berardo Gonçalves Maia Campos
Avenida do Café, S/N
Monte Alegre
14040-903 - Ribeirão Preto - SP - Brazil
Email: pmcampos@usp.br
How to cite this article:AraújoLA,AddorF,CamposPMBGM.UseofSiliconforskinandhaircare:anapproachof
chemicalformsavailableandefcacy.AnBrasDermatol.2016;91(3):331-5.
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Objectives Silicium (silicon), an essential trace element, plays a critical role in maintaining skin health, including collagen synthesis, hydration, and elasticity. Mesoporosil®, a novel bioavailable form of silicium, offers a promising solution for enhancing skin properties. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of Mesoporosil® in improving skin firmness, hydration, and elasticity in women with aging skin. Materials and Methods This 84-day interventional study involved 22 female volunteers aged 40–66 years with moderate to severe facial aging and dry skin. Participants consumed one daily tablet of Mesoporosil® containing 14 mg of silicon. Assessments were conducted at baseline, day 28, day 56, and day 84. Primary outcomes included subjective improvements in skin firmness, hydration, elasticity, and radiance, assessed through a detailed 24-item questionnaire. Results All 22 participants completed the study without dropouts. Subjective assessments showed progressive improvements in skin parameters over the treatment period. Significant acceptance was observed on day 28 (55.8%), day 56 (62.7%), and day 84 (61.4%). Three sensory experience parameters – ease of oral intake, absence of aftertaste, and lack of gastric distress – met the 80% satisfaction threshold consistently. Skin firmness, hydration, wrinkle reduction, radiance, and elasticity showed cumulative enhancement over the 12 weeks. No adverse events or discomforts were reported, indicating excellent tolerance and safety of the supplement. Conclusion Mesoporosil® demonstrated significant efficacy in enhancing skin firmness, hydration, and elasticity, with high levels of participant satisfaction and excellent safety. These findings support the potential of Mesoporosil® as an effective supplement for promoting healthy aging in women with aging skin.
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This research aimed to develop a biocomposite containing bioactive glass nanoparticles (BGs) for skin wound healing. BGs, synthesized based on the SiO2-CaO-B2O3-ZnO system, had amorphous nature, spherical-shaped morphology and nano-sized particles. Composite sponges were fabricated by the freeze-drying and characterized. Among them, the sponge with 5 wt% of BGs (CA-G5) exhibited excellent water absorption ability, high porosity (88%) and interconnected pores with an average pore size of 130 µm suitable for migration and proliferation of fibroblasts. Moreover, CA-G5 showed improved tensile strength and elastic modulus in both dry and wet states and antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli bacteria. Biological assays confirmed the positive role of BGs on human dermal fibroblast cell viability, proliferation and attachment. The in vitro biomineralization assay in simulated wound fluid showed apatite deposition after 7 days of immersion. This study suggests the developed biocomposite presents great potential for wound healing applications. Schematic representation of developing a biocomposite composed of Chitosan, Alginate and Zinc and Boron-releasing bioactive glass nanoparticles for wound healing applications. The resulting biocomposite exhibited promising mechanical properties, water absorption ability, and antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli, and supported human dermal fibroblast viability and attachment
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Skin is the human body's largest organ, protecting it from various environmental threats. At the same time, it is the most accessible organ of the body, which ensures the reception of stimuli and contact with the environment. Such common signs of skin aging, such as wrinkles, fine lines, and discoloration, result from both extrinsic and intrinsic factors that act for a long time. If the skin does not look well enough, it is worth investigating whether minerals or trace elements are deficient. The positive role of some minerals (calcium, potassium, sodium, sulfur, and magnesium) and trace elements (iron, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, and silicon) was found in maintaining skin health. There are also a variety of skin conditions, such as inflammatory disorders (eczema, psoriasis), acne, lichen planus, vitiligo, alopecia areata, or even skin cancer, which require specific approaches for their prevention and treatment considering the saturation of the body and the skin with mineral elements. They could be supplied internally (through adequate nutrition or food additives) or externally (by application of cosmetics). Some aspects of the danger of the toxic trace elements used in cosmetics are also described in this review.
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Introduction. In previous years, RUDN University conducted a comparative analysis of the ionomic profiles of first-year students from Africa, Central Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, China and others, but a comparison of the elemental status of first-year RUDN University students from the Middle East and the Moscow region has not been described in the literature. The purpose of the study is to study the relationship between the ionomic profile of hair of first-year RUDN University students from the Middle East and the Moscow region with the natural and climatic conditions of the living environment. Material and methods. In the period from September 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023, a study of the elemental composition of hair was carried out using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in 180 first-year RUDN University students who previously lived in the ME countries (60 people) and in the MR (120 people) aged 18–26 years. The average age of the subjects was 22.7 ± 4 years. Gender differences in the comparison groups were not taken into account. Results. It was found that in the ionic profile of the hair of students who arrived from the Moscow region, the predominant macroelements are calci-um, magnesium, essential microelements manganese, cobalt, iron, toxic microelement mercury, and potentially toxic microelement tin. In the ionic profile of the hair of students who arrived from the Middle East, the predominant elements are sodium, essential microelements molybdenum, silicon, toxic microelements thallium, cesium, antimony, tungsten, beryllium, conditionally essential and potentially toxic microelements arsenic, rubidium, nickel. Conclusions. The article presents the results of a comparative analysis of the content of 22 elements in the hair of first-year RUDN students from the Middle East and the Moscow region during the adaptation period to study in 2023. The features of the elemental profiles of students were established, it was shown that the hair of the subjects reflects the territorial climatic and geographical features of the region of residence of the subject.
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This article is in response to Vanden Berghe: There are not enough data to conclude that Monomethylsilanetriol is safe. Nutrition & Metabolism 2013 10:66: www. nutritionandmetabolism. com/content/10/1/66
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This article is in response to Jugdaohsingh et al.: The silicon supplement ‘Monomethylsilanetriol’ is safe and increases the body pool of silicon in healthy Pre-menopausal women. Nutrition & Metabolism 2013 10:37: http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/10/1/37 The response from the authors is published as Jugdaohsingh et al.: Response to Prof D. Vanden Berghe letter: ‘There are not enough data to conclude that Monomethylsilanetriol is safe’. Nutrition & Metabolism 2013 10:65: http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/10/1/65 Abstract The authors claim that the silicon supplement 'Monomethylsilanetriol’ (MMST) is safe and is converted to orthosilicic acid (OSA) after ingestion. Critical analysis of the study results indicates that the presented data are insufficient to conclude that the use of MMST in food or food supplements is safe. Long term safety studies in humans and toxicological testing in vitro and in animals are an absolute requisite for such a conclusion but these are lacking in the present study and in the literature. Furthermore, none of the presented data show that MMST is actually converted to OSA, as OSA was not analyzed in neither serum or urine of supplemented subjects.
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Background: Several studies have confirmed dramatic changes in skin surface parameters during the winter months. Although there are many studies supporting the positive effects of topical treatment, there are no published studies demonstrating the effects of oral supplementation in the prevention of negative skin changes during winter. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an oral micronutrient supplement in preventing the negative effects of winter weather on skin quality using noninvasive biometrologic instruments. Methods: This study included 80 healthy female volunteers aged 35-55 years with phototype II-IV skin. Randomization was balanced. Two tablets of a micronutrient supplement (Perfectil® Platinum) or placebo were administered once daily for 4 months. The volunteers were examined at baseline, after 4 months, and 6 weeks after termination of treatment (month 5.5). The evaluation included skin microrelief by Visioscan® as the main outcome, and the secondary outcomes were results on standard macrophotography, skin tension by Reviscometer®, skin high-frequency ultrasound, and self-assessment. Results: For all pseudoroughness and microrelief indicators, there was a significant increase from baseline to month 4 in the placebo group (P<0.05) but no change in the active group. Descriptive statistics for the mean minimum, mean maximum, and minimum to maximum ratio on the nonexposed study zone showed a significant and dramatic difference between baseline and month 4 and between baseline and month 5.5 (P<0.05) in the active group, indicating decreasing anisotropy of the skin. High-frequency ultrasound on the exposed study zone revealed that skin thickness was significantly decreased in the placebo group during winter but was stable in the treated group (P<0.01). The photography scaling and self-assessment questionnaire revealed no significant changes in either group. Conclusion: These results indicate that the skin is prone to seasonal changes during winter, particularly in exposed areas. The data also indicate that oral supplementation can be a safe treatment, with no serious side effects, and may prevent or even eliminate the negative effects of winter on the skin.
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SUMMARY Following a request from the Commission to the European Food Safety Authority, the Scientific Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food was asked to provide a scientific opinion on the safety of choline-stabilised orthosilicic acid (ch-OSA) added for nutritional purposes as a source of silicon in food supplements and on the bioavailability of silicon from this source. Choline-stabilised orthosilicic acid is a mixture of orthosilicic acid and choline chloride. The present opinion deals only with the safety of ch-OSA as source of silicon and with the bioavailability of silicon from this source. The safety of silicon itself, in term of amounts that may be consumed and the consideration of silicon as a nutrient are outside the remit of this Panel.
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Silicon is required for normal growth and development in the chick when a low silicon diet is fed in a trace element controlled environment. Day-old deutectomized cockerels fed a purified amino acid diet showed significantly retarded growth and development within 2 to 3 weeks. Chicks fed the same diet plus a silicon supplement showed 50 percent higher growth and normal development. Silicon meets the criteria for an essential trace element.
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Convincing evidence that silicon is a bioactive beneficial trace element continues to accumulate. The evidence, which has come from human, animal, and in vitro studies performed by several laboratories, indicate that silicon in nutritional and supra nutritional amounts promotes bone and connective tissue health, may have a modulating effect on the immune or inflammatory response, and has been associated with mental health. A plausible mechanism of action for the beneficial effects of silicon is the binding of hydroxyl groups of polyols such that it influences the formation and/or utilization of glycosaminoglycans, mucopolysaccharides, and collagen in connective tissue and bone. In addition, silicon may affect the absorption, retention or action of other mineral elements (e.g., aluminum, copper, magnesium). Based on findings from both animal and human experiments, an intake of silicon of near 25 mg per day would be a reasonable suggestion for an adequate intake that would assure its nutritional benefits. Increased intakes of silicon through consuming unrefined grains, certain vegetables, and beverages and cereals made from grains should be recognized as a reasonable dietary recommendation.