scholarly journals Levels of Hydroquinone, Selected Heavy Metals (Hg, Pb, As) and Chemical requirements in Some Skin Lightening Creams Sold in Mbarara Municipality

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-34
Author(s):  
Derick Muloogi ◽  
Irene Nalumansi ◽  
Denis Byamugisha
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Thermal Stability ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
National Bureau ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Periodic Analysis ◽  
Fatty Substance ◽  
Skin Lightening

In this study, Skin-lightening creams commonly sold in Mbarara municipality were analyzed for chemical parameters (pH, thermal stability and fatty substance content), total hydroquinone, Lead, Mercury, and Arsenic contents. Total heavy metal content was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The levels of hydroquinone were determined using High Performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All the creams showed detectable mean levels of mercury, ranging from 0.07±0.01ppm to 0.33±0.01ppm. Only 26.31% of the creams showed detectable levels of lead and 15.79% creams recorded detectable levels of arsenic. The mean levels of hydroquinone ranged from 0.54±0.02% to 4.47±0.02%. All the creams passed the thermal stability and fatty substance content tests. However, all the creams had very low pH values below the recommended 4.5- 8.5 pH ranges by Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS). The levels of mercury, arsenic and lead in the samples were less than the UNBS, European Union and US Food and Drug Administration’s acceptable limits. Only 84.2% of the cream samples analyzed contained hydroquinone levels higher than the recommended WHO limit of 2%. The use of such creams may lead to serious health hazards. While the low concentrations of heavy metals detected in the cream samples analyzed do not pose any potential risk to consumers, repeated application of these creams may cause a cumulative effect over prolonged exposure. The low pH values may cause skin irritations.  Therefore, the community needs to be sensitized on the implications of using skin lightening creams and UNBS should conduct periodic analysis to ascertain the levels of hydroquinone, heavy metals, and chemical requirements of skin lightening creams sold in Uganda as well as encourage manufacturers to state the exact bleaching agents in their creams.

scholarly journals Thermal stability of lipid-depleted purple membranes at neutral and low pH values

FEBS Letters ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 345 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 154-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefka G. Taneva ◽  
Rumiana Koynova ◽  
Boris Tenchov
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stability ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Thermal Stability Of ◽  
Purple Membranes

scholarly journals Relationship between hemagglutinin stability and influenza virus persistence after exposure to low pH or supraphysiological heating

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. e1009910
Author(s):  
Guohua Yang ◽  
Chet R. Ojha ◽  
Charles J. Russell
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stability ◽  
Influenza A ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Surface Glycoprotein ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Reporter Assay ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
A Value ◽  
Animal Isolates

The hemagglutinin (HA) surface glycoprotein is triggered by endosomal low pH to cause membrane fusion during influenza A virus (IAV) entry yet must remain sufficiently stable to avoid premature activation during virion transit between cells and hosts. HA activation pH and/or virion inactivation pH values less than pH 5.6 are thought to be required for IAV airborne transmissibility and human pandemic potential. To enable higher-throughput screening of emerging IAV strains for “humanized” stability, we developed a luciferase reporter assay that measures the threshold pH at which IAVs are inactivated. The reporter assay yielded results similar to TCID50 assay yet required one-fourth the time and one-tenth the virus. For four A/TN/09 (H1N1) HA mutants and 73 IAVs of varying subtype, virion inactivation pH was compared to HA activation pH and the rate of inactivation during 55°C heating. HA stability values correlated highly with virion acid and thermal stability values for isogenic viruses containing HA point mutations. HA stability also correlated with virion acid stability for human isolates but did not correlate with thermal stability at 55°C, raising doubt in the use of supraphysiological heating assays. Some animal isolates had virion inactivation pH values lower than HA activation pH, suggesting factors beyond HA stability can modulate virion stability. The coupling of HA activation pH and virion inactivation pH, and at a value below 5.6, was associated with human adaptation. This suggests that both virologic properties should be considered in risk assessment algorithms for pandemic potential.

Mercury Removal from Wastewater by Steamed Hoof Powder

1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
pp. 109-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. Ansari ◽  
A. M. Deshkar ◽  
P. S. Kelkar ◽  
D. M. Dharmadhikari ◽  
M. Z. Hasan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Adsorption Capacity ◽  
Adsorption Process ◽  
Adsorption Equilibrium ◽  
Light Metal ◽  
Mercury Removal ◽  
High Adsorption ◽  
Surface Sites ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
High Adsorption Capacity

Steamed Hoof Powder (SHP), size < 53μ, was observed to have high adsorption capacity for Hg(II) with >95% removal from a solution containing 100 mg/L of Hg(II) with only 0.1% (W/V) concentration of SHP. The SHP has good settling properties and gives clear and odour free effluent. Studies indicate that pH values between 2 and 10 have no effect on the adsorption of Hg(II) on SHP. Light metal ions like Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ up to concentrations of 500 mg/L and heavy metals like Cu2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Pb2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Cr3+, Cr6+, Fe2+ and Fe3+ up to concentrations of 100 mg/L do not interfere with the adsorption process. Anions like sulphate, acetate and phosphate up to concentrations of 200 mg/L do not interfere. Chloride interferes in the adsorption process when Hg(II) concentration is above 9.7 mg/L. The adsorption equilibrium was established within two hours. Studies indicate that adsorption occurs on the surface sites of the adsorbent.

scholarly journals Adaptation of Lactobacillus plantarum IMDO 130201, a Wheat Sourdough Isolate, to Growth in Wheat Sourdough Simulation Medium at Different pH Values through Differential Gene Expression

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 3406-3412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gino Vrancken ◽  
Luc De Vuyst ◽  
Tom Rimaux ◽  
Joke Allemeersch ◽  
Stefan Weckx
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Lactobacillus Plantarum ◽  
Differential Gene Expression ◽  
Lipoteichoic Acid ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Exponential Growth Phase ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Differential Gene

ABSTRACTSourdough is a very competitive and challenging environment for microorganisms. Usually, a stable microbiota composed of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts dominates this ecosystem. Although sourdough is rich in carbohydrates, thus providing an ideal environment for microorganisms to grow, its low pH presents a particular challenge. The nature of the adaptation to this low pH was investigated forLactobacillus plantarumIMDO 130201, an isolate from a laboratory wheat sourdough fermentation. Batch fermentations were carried out in wheat sourdough simulation medium, and total RNA was isolated from mid-exponential-growth-phase cultures, followed by differential gene expression analysis using a LAB functional gene microarray. At low pH values, an increased expression of genes involved in peptide and amino acid metabolism was found as well as that of genes involved in plantaricin production and lipoteichoic acid biosynthesis. The results highlight cellular mechanisms that allowL. plantarumto function at a low environmental pH.

scholarly journals Mechanism of Coagulation of Humic Acid in Presence of Metal Ion Coagulants at Low pH Values

1970 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 874-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takao YOTSUYANAGI ◽  
Katsumi GOTO ◽  
Masaichi NAGAYAMA
Keyword(s):  
Humic Acid ◽  
Metal Ion ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Ph Values

scholarly journals Histidine-Rich Glycoprotein Inhibits HIV-1 Infection in a pH-Dependent Manner

2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezequiel Dantas ◽  
Fernando Erra Díaz ◽  
Pehuén Pereyra Gerber ◽  
Augusto Varese ◽  
Diana Alicia Jerusalinsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Vaginal Mucosa ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus 2 ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACTHistidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) is an abundant plasma protein with a multidomain structure, allowing its interaction with many ligands, including phospholipids, plasminogen, fibrinogen, IgG antibodies, and heparan sulfate. HRG has been shown to regulate different biological responses, such as angiogenesis, coagulation, and fibrinolysis. Here, we found that HRG almost completely abrogated the infection of Ghost cells, Jurkat cells, CD4+T cells, and macrophages by HIV-1 at a low pH (range, 6.5 to 5.5) but not at a neutral pH. HRG was shown to interact with the heparan sulfate expressed by target cells, inhibiting an early postbinding step associated with HIV-1 infection. More importantly, by acting on the viral particle itself, HRG induced a deleterious effect, which reduces viral infectivity. Because cervicovaginal secretions in healthy women show low pH values, even after semen deposition, our observations suggest that HRG might represent a constitutive defense mechanism in the vaginal mucosa. Of note, low pH also enabled HRG to inhibit the infection of HEp-2 cells and Vero cells by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), respectively, suggesting that HRG might display broad antiviral activity under acidic conditions.IMPORTANCEVaginal intercourse represents a high-risk route for HIV-1 transmission. The efficiency of male-to-female HIV-1 transmission has been estimated to be 1 in every 1,000 episodes of sexual intercourse, reflecting the high degree of protection conferred by the genital mucosa. However, the contribution of different host factors to the protection against HIV-1 at mucosal surfaces remains poorly defined. Here, we report for the first time that acidic values of pH enable the plasma protein histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) to strongly inhibit HIV-1 infection. Because cervicovaginal secretions usually show low pH values, our observations suggest that HRG might represent a constitutive antiviral mechanism in the vaginal mucosa. Interestingly, infection by other viruses, such as respiratory syncytial virus and herpes simplex virus 2, was also markedly inhibited by HRG at low pH values, suggesting that extracellular acidosis enables HRG to display broad antiviral activity.

scholarly journals Effect of water temperature and pH on the concentration and time of ozone saturation

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melicia Cintia Galdeano ◽  
Allan Eduardo Wilhelm ◽  
Isabella Borges Goulart ◽  
Renata Valeriano Tonon ◽  
Otniel Freitas-Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Temperature ◽  
Molecular Oxygen ◽  
Half Life ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Ozone Content ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Saturation Time ◽  
Gas Concentration ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Effect Of Water

Abstract Ozone has been used for many years to disinfect water due to its oxidizing potential. Since it decomposes quickly into molecular oxygen, leaving no residue, it has important advantages for use. The decomposition of ozone is affected by the temperature and pH of the medium, low pH values and temperatures increasing its half-life, which can result in more efficient disinfection. With the objective of increasing the effectiveness of ozonation, this study investigated the effect of temperature (8 ºC and 25 °C) and pH (3.0 and 6.0) of the water on the saturation time and gas concentration, employing two initial gas concentrations (13.3 and 22.3 mg L-1). The concentration of ozone saturation increased as the temperature and pH of the medium decreased, as also with the higher initial gas concentration ( C0). The highest saturation concentrations were obtained at pH 3.0 and 8 °C (4.50 and 8.03 mg L-1 with C0 of 13.3 and 22.3 mg L-1, respectively). This higher ozone content could result in greater decontamination efficiency of the food products washed with this water.

Efficacy of Bisulfite Ions as an Oxygen Scavenger in Monoethylene Glycol (At Least 20 wt%)/Water Mixtures

SPE Journal ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (05) ◽  
pp. 1467-1477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mobin Salasi ◽  
Thunyaluk Pojtanabuntoeng ◽  
Sindee Wong ◽  
Marc Lehmann
Keyword(s):  
Transition Metal ◽  
Oxygen Removal ◽  
Low Ph ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Oxygen Scavenger ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Oxygen Scavenging ◽  
Monoethylene Glycol

Summary This study investigates the oxygen-scavenging behavior of bisulfite ions in monoethylene glycol (MEG)/water mixtures at concentrations commonly found in gas-transportation pipelines. Temperatures and pH values were varied. The influence of transition-metal (TM) ions to catalyze the bisulfite oxygen scavenging was studied. Experimental results indicate that MEG significantly inhibits bisulfite oxygen removal, which is hindered at low pH values and, to some extent, temperature. TMs can accelerate the oxygen-scavenging reaction in pH-unadjusted solutions, although the rate was still lower than that of the pH-adjusted solutions. The possible mechanism for such behavior and industrial implications are discussed.

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