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On the progress of hydrogel-based 3D printing: Correlating rheological properties with printing behaviour

Publication . Bom, Sara; Ribeiro, Ricardo; Ribeiro, Helena; Santos, Catarina; Marto, Joana

One of the exciting future directions in the 3D printing field is the development of innovative personalized smart constructions for bio-applications, including drug delivery, namely high-throughput drug screening and customized topical/oral administration of pharmaceuticals, as well as tissue engineering. In this context, hydrogels have emerged as a promising material that, when combined with extrusion 3D printing, allow the creation of soft-material structures with defined spatial locations, that can be printed at room temperature and customized by tuning the geometric design and/or the formulation components. Thus, the efficacy and quality of such vehicles is dependent on formulation, design, and printing process parameters. However, hydrogel inks are often designed and characterized using different methods and this lack of uniformity impairs. Characterization techniques are usually arbitrary and differ among research groups, challenging the inference of possible conclusions on hydrogel behaviour and potential applications. Therefore, to properly analyse the potential of a particular hydrogel ink formulation, we review, for the first time, the most frequently employed characterization procedures, from rheological approaches to printing parameters and settings, and discuss their relevance, limitations and drawbacks, and highlight future perspectives. Overall, to accelerate the development of high-quality 3D constructs, comprehensive characterization protocols for both pre-printing and printing assays should be adopted. Furthermore, their transversal adoption could serve as a boost in terms of quality requirements and regulatory aspects.

2022-03Journal article

Open access

Cannabis-Based Products for the Treatment of Skin Inflammatory Diseases: A Timely Review

Publication . Martins, Ana; Gomes, Ana L.; Vilas Boas, Inês; Marto, Joana; Ribeiro, Helena

The use of natural products in dermatology is increasingly being pursued due to sustainability and ecological issues, and as a possible way to improve the therapeutic outcome of chronic skin diseases, relieving the burden for both patients and healthcare systems. The legalization of cannabis by a growing number of countries has opened the way for researching the use of cannabinoids in therapeutic topical formulations. Cannabinoids are a diverse class of pharmacologically active compounds produced by Cannabis sativa (phytocannabinoids) and similar molecules (endocannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoids). Humans possess an endocannabinoid system involved in the regulation of several physiological processes, which includes naturally-produced endocannabinoids, and proteins involved in their transport, synthesis and degradation. The modulation of the endocannabinoid system is a promising therapeutic target for multiple diseases, including vascular, mental and neurodegenerative disorders. However, due to the complex nature of this system and its crosstalk with other biological systems, the development of novel target drugs is an ongoing challenging task. The discovery of a skin endocannabinoid system and its role in maintaining skin homeostasis, alongside the anti-inflammatory actions of cannabinoids, has raised interest in their use for the treatment of skin inflammatory diseases, which is the focus of this review. Oral treatments are only effective at high doses, having considerable adverse effects; thus, research into plant-based or synthetic cannabinoids that can be incorporated into high-quality, safe topical products for the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions is timely. Previous studies revealed that such products are usually well tolerated and showed promising results for example in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and contact dermatitis. However, further controlled human clinical trials are needed to fully unravel the potential of these compounds, and the possible side effects associated with their topical use.

2022-02Journal article

Open access

Indirect consequences of coronavirus disease 2019: Skin lesions caused by the frequent hand sanitation and use of personal protective equipment and strategies for their prevention

Publication . Graça, Angélica; Martins, Ana Margarida; Ribeiro, Helena; Marto, Joana

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) enforced the use of hand sanitation and of personal protective equipment, such as masks and visors, especially by health-care professionals, but also by the general public. However, frequent hand sanitation and the prolonged and continuous use of personal protective equipment are responsible for constant frictional and pressure forces on skin causing lesions, the most reported being acne, facial itching, dryness, and rash. Thus, it is important to find measures to prevent skin lesions, in order to improve the quality of life of health-care professionals and of the general public. This article gathers the current information regarding measures to prevent human to human transmission of COVID-19, reviews the most common skin lesions caused by the use of hand sanitizers and different types of personal protective equipment, and the possible preventive measures that can be used on a daily basis to minimize the risk of developing skin-related pathologies. Daily skin care routines and the incorporation of a dressing between the skin and the personal protective equipment to serve as a protective barrier are some of the applied measures. Moisturizers and dressings improve the skin's ability to respond to constant aggressions. Lastly, the need for additional studies to evaluate the lubrication properties of different types of dressings is discussed. The understanding of what kind of dressing is more suitable to prevent pressure injuries is crucial to promote healthy skin and wellbeing during pandemic times.

2022-09Journal article

Open access

Potential therapeutic of olive oil industry by-products in skin health: a review

Publication . Nunes, Andreia; Marto, Joana; Gonçalves, Lídia; Martins, Ana Margarida; Fraga, Carmo; Ribeiro, Helena

Olea europaea L. is one of the most important fruit trees in the Mediterranean countries due to its products, olive oil and table olives. However, the olive oil extraction industry produces large amounts of by-products, such as olive pomace, leaves and olive mill wastewater, which are considered harmful to the environment, having negative impacts on soil, aquatic and air ecosystems. The olive oil industry by-products are a major ecological issue mainly due to their phenolic components, such as oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol. However, olive oil industry by-products can be recovered, treated and studied for their health-promoting properties, holding great potential for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Furthermore, the recovery and treatment processes contribute to an efficient waste management and sustainability of the olive oil industry, leading to important economic benefits. The phenolic compounds extracted and obtained from these by-products present numerous health properties and can be used as antioxidant, photoprotector, anti-inflammatory and/or antimicrobial agents in wellness and therapeutics of the skin. This review highlights issues related to olive oil industry by-products and then proceeds to discuss how their beneficial biological activities make them reusable, particularly their high positive impact in treating skin disorders.

2021-10-12Journal article

Restricted access

Chemical Characterization and Bioactivity of Commercial Essential Oils and Hydrolates Obtained from Portuguese Forest Logging and Thinning

Publication . Ruas, Ana; Graça, A.; Marto, Joana; Gonçalves, Lídia; Oliveira, Ana; Silva, Alexandra Nogueira da; Pimentel, Madalena; Moura, Artur Mendes; Serra, Ana Teresa; Figueiredo, Ana Cristina; Ribeiro, Helena

Essential oils (EOs) and hydrolates (Hds) are natural sources of biologically active ingredients with broad applications in the cosmetic industry. In this study, nationally produced (mainland Portugal and Azores archipelago) EOs (11) and Hds (7) obtained from forest logging and thinning of Eucalyptus globulus, Pinus pinaster, Pinus pinea and Cryptomeria japonica, were chemically evaluated, and their bioactivity and sensorial properties were assessed. EOs and Hd volatiles (HdVs) were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. 1,8-Cineole was dominant in E. globulus EOs and HdVs, and α- and β-pinene in P. pinaster EOs. Limonene and α-pinene led in P. pinea and C. japonica EOs, respectively. P. pinaster and C. japonica HVs were dominated by α-terpineol and terpinen-4-ol, respectively. The antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH, ORAC and ROS. C. japonica EO showed the highest antioxidant activity, whereas one of the E. globulus EOs showed the lowest. Antimicrobial activity results revealed different levels of efficacy for Eucalyptus and Pinus EOs while C. japonica EO showed no antimicrobial activity against the selected strains. The perception and applicability of emulsions with 0.5% of EOs were evaluated through an in vivo sensory study. C. japonica emulsion, which has a fresh and earthy odour, was chosen as the most pleasant fragrance (60%), followed by P. pinea emulsion (53%). In summary, some of the studied EOs and Hds showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and they are possible candidates to address the consumers demand for more sustainable and responsibly sourced ingredients.

2022-06Journal article

Open access