Search Results (46)

The chemical 2-phenoxyethanol (2-PE) has been found to elicit trail following responses in subterranean termites and could have potential use as an enhancement to termite treatments. In this paper, similar glycol ethers to 2-phenoxyethanol were found to elicit significant trail following compared to the control, but they were not as effective as 2-phenoxyethanol. Significantly more shelter tubes were built over 2-phenoxyethanol treatment lines applied to vinyl tile compared to water controls. Eastern subterranean termites chose a food source with 2-PE applied to the surrounding soil over water controls in a choice test. The termites also tunneled along a soil treatment line significantly further, and with less deviation than the water controls, in sand. During field trials, there was termite activity only at 2-PE-treated detection stations beginning at 4 months after initial installation. 2-phenoxyethanol is relatively inexpensive, considered safe for the environment, and easy to mix in large batches. 2-PE is a simple and efficient way to guide termites to specific locations in the field for collection and other purposes. These factors should facilitate adoption in future pest management practices. Full article

Background: The R21 malaria vaccine is a next-generation, WHO-prequalified vaccine that was introduced to reduce the burden of clinical malaria. In alignment with WHO recommendations, multi-dose vaccine presentations are preferred for large-scale immunization and inclusion in the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). Accurate protein quantification is a critical quality control parameter for lot release, but it remains challenging when the antigen is present at low protein concentrations or formulated with complex matrices, including adjuvants, stabilizers, and preservatives. Methods: In this study, multiple protein estimation methods including Micro-BCA, BCA, and Bradford assays were evaluated to determine their suitability for quantifying the R21 antigen formulated with Matrix-M1 adjuvant and 2-PE preservative. The Bradford assay was selected as the most appropriate method, based on a comparative assessment of precision, accuracy, and linearity. Further optimization was undertaken to identify suitable buffer systems, and the method was validated in accordance with ICH Q2(R2) guidelines. Results: Validation results demonstrated that the assay is specific, accurate, precise, and repeatable, with a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 2 µg/mL. The method demonstrated comparable performance to ELISA and was found to be sensitive enough to detect changes in antigen concentration resulting from unintended adsorption of R21 to vial surfaces. The assay offers a rapid, high-throughput, and cost-effective solution for protein quantitation in commercial manufacturing, lot release, and stability studies. The protein content of the drug product, quantified using the Bradford method, demonstrated robust in vivo immunogenicity in both release and stability studies. Conclusions: The robustness and reproducibility of the assay establish a new benchmark in quality control for virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccines with complex formulations, thereby supporting the precision and reliability required for global malaria prevention efforts. Full article

Fishery anesthetics are extensively employed in aquaculture to mitigate stress and reduce mortality during handling, transportation, and processing of farmed fish. While they enhance operational efficiency and reduce economic losses for fish merchants, the potential residual presence of these anesthetics raises concerns regarding human health risks and environmental impact. This review examines six commonly used anesthetics in aquaculture—eugenol, MS-222, benzocaine, 2-phenoxyethanol, diazepam, and quinaldine—focusing on their mechanisms of action, application risks, ecotoxicological effects, and methods for residue analysis. The objective is to promote the safe and informed application of these anesthetics, mitigate their biological toxicity, and minimize their ecological impact. Furthermore, the review provides technical insights into monitoring and managing anesthetic residues in aquaculture to ensure the safety of aquatic products and safeguard environmental health while also supporting the development of sustainable aquaculture practices. Full article

Background/Objectives: Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (AIV) result in significant financial losses and the death or depopulation of millions of domestic birds. Early and rapid detection and surveillance are needed to slow the spread of AIV and prevent its spillover to humans. The volatile metabolome (i.e., the pattern of volatile metabolites emitted by a living subject) represents one such source of health information that can be monitored for disease diagnosis. Indeed, dogs have been successfully trained to recognize patterns of “body odors” associated with many diseases. Because little is known regarding the mechanisms involved in the alteration of the volatile metabolome in response to health perturbation, questions still arise regarding the specificity, or lack thereof, of these alterations. Methods: To address this concern, we experimentally infected twenty mallard ducks with one of two different strains of low-pathogenic AIV (ten ducks per strain) and collected cloacal swabs at various time points before and after infection. Results: Headspace analyses revealed that four volatiles were significantly altered following infection, with distinct profiles associated with each viral strain. The volatiles that differed between strains among post-infection sampling periods included ethylbenzyl ether (p = 0.00006), 2-phenoxyethanol (p = 0.00017), 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (p = 0.00022), and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (p = 0.00034). Conclusions: These findings underscore that AIV-induced changes to the volatile metabolome are strain-specific, emphasizing the need for disease-specific profiling in diagnostic development. Full article

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is a metabolic disorder for which no effective pharmacological treatments are currently available. Cistanoside F (Cis), a phenoxyethanol-derived compound, remains relatively unexplored in the context of lipid metabolism regulation, as well as its potential mechanisms and therapeutic applications in metabolic disorders. Consequently, this study aimed to evaluate the potential of Cis in ameliorating the pathological manifestations of SO in C2C12 cells. Two classical adipogenic differentiation models using C2C12 cells were employed to quantitatively assess the ability of Cis to inhibit lipid droplet formation, utilizing Oil Red O staining coupled with high-content imaging analysis. Markers associated with adipogenic and myogenic differentiation were examined using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting. Our experimental findings demonstrated that Cis significantly attenuated lipid droplet accumulation and promoted muscle protein synthesis via the modulation of PPARγ, ATGL, CPT1b, and UCP1 expression during lipogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells. Cis significantly upregulated the phosphorylation and expression levels of key metabolic regulators, including p-AMPK/AMPK, p-ACC1/ACC1, and MHC. We identified a positive regulatory feedback mechanism between AMPK signaling and MHC expression in the adipogenic differentiation model, suggesting that Cis exerts its therapeutic effects through AMPK-dependent pathways. This is the first study to provide the first experimental evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of Cis for metabolic regulation, targeting adiposity reduction and muscle mass enhancement. Furthermore, Cis exhibited potent anti-inflammatory properties, as demonstrated by its ability to significantly downregulate proinflammatory mediators, including IL-6 and p-NF-κB/NF-κB, during adipogenic differentiation. These novel findings regarding the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of Cis will form the basis for our subsequent in-depth mechanistic investigations. Full article

Background: 2-Phenoxyethanol (2-PE) has been safely included as a preservative and/or stabilizer in more than thirty vaccine formulations at amounts ranging from 0.5 to 5 mg per dose; however, the nonclinical safety data publicly available for intramuscular (IM) or subcutaneous (SC) administration are relatively limited. Here, in addition to the available clinical and nonclinical data for 2-PE, we summarize the nonclinical safety data of experimental 13vPnC (Prev(e)nar 13) formulations with or without 2-PE. Methods: Two repeat-dose toxicity studies in rabbits, one for a 2-PE-free formulation of 13vPnC and the other for an MDV formulation of 13vPnC with 5 mg/dose 2-PE, were conducted as part of an overall nonclinical safety package for vaccine development. The studies were designed and conducted in compliance with the relevant guidelines and regulations. Results: In repeat-dose toxicity studies in rabbits, five IM administrations of a preservative-free 13vPnC single-dose syringe formulation or a 13vPnC multi-dose vial (MDV) formulation containing 5 mg 2-PE/0.5 mL dose were well tolerated with no systemic toxicity. Robust serotype-specific IgG antibody responses to each of the 13 pneumococcal serotypes were also confirmed for both formulations. The observations for the 13vPnC MDV including local inflammatory reaction, increases in fibrinogen, and increased splenic germinal centers were nonadverse, reversible, and consistent with findings previously observed for the IM administration of vaccines, including the 2-PE-free 13vPnC single-dose syringe formulation. Conclusions: Together with the other available nonclinical and clinical data of 2-PE and vaccine formulations containing 2-PE and following the 3Rs principle, our risk-assessment-based recommendation is that no additional nonclinical safety studies are needed when evaluating a 2-PE-containing presentation of a previously well-characterized vaccine product if the amount of 2-PE is ≤10 mg/dose. Full article

This study examined the metabolic rate (MO₂, oxygen consumption) of goldfish (Carassius auratus) under normal management conditions in aquaculture. Using an intermittent respirometry system, we assessed daily variations and the effects of feeding, handling, temperature increase, and anesthetics. MO₂ exhibited a daily rhythm, with higher values during day. Feeding to satiety produced a 35% increase in MO₂ compared to fasted animals, with a maximum peak after 3 h and returning to baseline after 7 h. Handling stress (5 min) produced a 140% MO₂ peak (from 180 to 252 mg O₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹), returning to the routine MO₂ after 2.5 h. An increase in water temperature (+0.1 °C min⁻¹) up to 30 °C caused MO₂ to peak at 200% after 2.5 h from the start of the temperature increase. The use of common anesthetics in aquaculture (MS-222, 2-phenoxyethanol and clove oil in deep anesthesia concentration) affects MO₂ during the first few minutes after anesthetic recovery, but also during the following 4 h. It can be concluded that the metabolic rate is a good indicator of the goldfish’s response to aquaculture practices involving energy expenditure and stress. Thus, intermittent respirometry is a valuable non-invasive tool for understanding and improving fish welfare in aquaculture. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the intestinal interactions between three short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), namely, acetate, propionate, and butyrate, and pathogenic bacteria (Vibrio anguillarum) in intestinal explants of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles. The anterior intestine of 12 fish with an average weight of 100 g (killed by excess anesthesia with 2-phenoxyethanol) were sampled and placed in 24-well plates. The experimental treatments consisted of a control medium and a control plus 1 mM or 10 mM of sodium acetate (SA), sodium butyrate (SB), and sodium propionate (SP). After 2 h of incubation, the explants were challenged with Vibrio anguillarum at 1 × 10⁷ CFU/mL for 2 h. After the bacterial challenge, and regardless of the SCFA treatment, the oxidative stress-related genus catalase (cat) and superoxide dismutase (sod) were down-regulated and glutathione peroxidase (gpx) was up-regulated. Furthermore, the immune-related genes, i.e., the tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin 8 (IL-8), transforming growth factor (TGF-β), and nuclear factor (NF-Kβ) were also up-regulated, and interleukin 10 (IL-10) was down-regulated. During the pre-challenge, sodium propionate and sodium butyrate seemed to bind the G-protein coupled receptor (grp40L), increasing its expression. During the challenge, citrate synthase (cs) was down-regulated, indicating that the SCFAs were used as an energy source to increase the immune and oxidative responses. Overall, our results suggest that sodium propionate and sodium butyrate may boost European sea bass immune response at the intestine level. Full article

The occurrence of emerging pollutants (EPs) such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) has raised serious concerns about the possible adverse effects on ecosystem integrity and human health. Wastewater treatment facilities appear to be the main sources of PPCPs released in aquatic environments. This research examines the effectiveness of groundwater microbial community activities to remove phenoxyethanol (Phy-Et), currently exploited as a preservative in many cosmetic formulations at a maximum concentration of 1% but which has shown, at higher levels of exposure, adverse systemic effects on animals. Mesocosm experiments were carried out for 28 days using two different concentrations of the substance (5.2 mg/L and 27.4 mg/L). The main results obtained through chemical and microbiological investigations revealed a significant Phy-Et reduction (≈100% when added at a concentration of 5.2 mg/L and ≈84% when added at a concentration of 27.4 mg/L), demonstrating that some autochthonous microorganisms in the analyzed samples played a “key role” in removing this compound, despite its proven antimicrobial activity. Nevertheless, the decrease in the “natural attenuation” efficacy (≈16%) when using higher concentrations of the chemical suggests the existence of a “dose-dependent effect” of Phy-Et on the process of biodegradation. Biomolecular investigations carried out through next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed (i) the presence of a significant fraction of hidden microbial diversity to unravel, (ii) variations of the composition and species abundance of the groundwater microbial communities induced by Phy-Et, and (iii) a biodiversity reduction trend correlated to the increase of Phy-Et concentrations. Overall, the preliminary information obtained from the experiments carried out at the laboratory scale appears encouraging, although it reflects only partially the complexity of the phenomena that occur in natural environments and influences their “auto-purification capability”. Accordingly, this research paves the way for more in-depth investigations to develop appropriate tools and protocols to evaluate the occurrence and fate of Phy-Et in nature and assess the impact of its release and the effects of long-term exposure (even at low concentrations) on ecosystems and health. Full article

The aim of this study was to indicate the type of preservatives used in selected categories of cosmetic products sold in Poland (part of the EU market) and determine the frequency of their use. The tested products consisted of 200 leave-on cosmetics, viz. body lotions (n = 100) and face creams (n = 100) and rinse-off cosmetics (n = 100) and mascaras (n = 25). The product labels of 325 adult cosmetic products from international brands were analyzed for the presence of preservatives based on the INCI compositions. The survey focused on preservatives included in Annex V of the Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products. The tested products contained 29 different preservatives belonging to eight chemical groups. Most preservatives were alcohols or their derivatives, carboxylic acids or their salts, or parabens. The most common types were phenoxyethanol, present in 198/325 (60.9%) formulations, followed by sodium benzoate, in 137 (42.2%), potassium sorbate, in 116 (35.7%), benzyl alcohol, in 76 (23.4%), and methylparaben in 33 (10.2%). Also, 33 of the 60 preservatives included in Annex V of Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 were not used in any of the tested preparations. In each category of products, the most common were combinations of two preservatives per single product (34.8% of all products), followed by single-preservative products (25.5%) and three-preservative products (19.4%). Full article

Biofilms are a major problem in hard-to-heal wounds. Moreover, they are composed of different species and are often tolerant to antimicrobial agents. At the same time, interspecific synergy and/or competition occurs when some bacterial species clash. For this reason, the tolerance of two dual-species wound biofilm models of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus or Enterococcus faecium against antimicrobials and antimicrobial dressings were analyzed quantitatively and by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The results were compared to findings with planktonic bacteria. Octenidine-dihydrochloride/phenoxyethanol and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) irrigation solutions showed a significant, albeit delayed reduction in biofilm bacteria, while the PHMB dressing was not able to induce this effect. However, the cadexomer-iodine dressing caused a sustained reduction in and killed almost all bacteria down to 10² cfu/mL within 6 days compared to the control (10¹⁰ cfu/mL). By means of CLSM in untreated human biofilm models, it became evident that P. aeruginosa dominates over E. faecium and S. aureus. Additionally, P. aeruginosa appeared as a vast layer at the bottom of the samples, while S. aureus formed grape-like clusters. In the second model, the distribution was even clearer. Only a few E. faecium were visible, in contrast to the vast layer of P. aeruginosa. It seems that the different species avoid each other and seek their respective niches. These mixed-species biofilm models showed that efficacy and tolerance to antimicrobial substances are nearly species-independent. Their frequent application appears to be important. The bacterial wound biofilm remains a challenge in treatment and requires new, combined therapy options. Full article

Widely used storage methods, including freezing or chemical modification, preserve the sterility of biological tissues but degrade the mechanical properties of materials used to make heart valve prostheses. Therefore, wet storage remains the most optimal option for biomaterials. Three biocidal solutions (an antibiotic mixture, an octanediol-phenoxyethanol complex solution, and a glycerol-ethanol mixture) were studied for the storage of native and decellularized porcine aorta and pulmonary trunk. Subsequent mechanical testing and microstructural analysis showed a slight increase in the tensile strength of native and decellularized aorta in the longitudinal direction. Pulmonary trunk elongation increased 1.3–1.6 times in the longitudinal direction after decellularization only. The microstructures of the tested specimens showed no differences before and after wet storage. Thus, two months of wet storage of native and decellularized porcine aorta and pulmonary trunks does not significantly affect the strength and elastic properties of the material. The wet storage protocol using alcohol solutions of glycerol or octanediol-phenoxyethanol mixture may be intended for further fabrication of extracellular matrix for tissue-engineered biological heart valve prostheses. Full article

Tartary buckwheat is a healthy grain rich in nutrients and medicinal ingredients and consequently is commonly used for Huangjiu brewing. In order to reveal the correlation between microbial succession and higher alcohols production, in this study, Huangjiu fermentation was conducted using Tartary buckwheat as the raw material and wheat Qu as the starter culture. Microbial community dynamics analysis indicated that the bacterial diversity initially decreased rapidly to a lower level and then increased and maintained at a higher level during fermentation. Lactococcus was the dominant bacteria and Ralstonia, Acinetobacter, Cyanobacteria, and Oxalobacteraceae were the bacterial genera with higher abundances. In sharp contrast, only 13 fungal genera were detected during fermentation, and Saccharomyces showed the dominant abundance. Moreover, 18 higher alcohol compounds were detected by GC-MS during fermentation. Four compounds (2-phenylethanol, isopentanol, 1-hexadecanol, and 2-phenoxyethanol) were stably detected with high concentrations during fermentation. The compound 2-ethyl-2-methyl-tridecanol was detected to be of the highest concentration in the later period of fermentation. Correlation analysis revealed that the generation of 2-phenylethanol, isopentanol, 1-hexadecanol, and 2-phenoxyethanol were positively correlated with Granulicatella and Pelomonas, Bacteroides, Pseudonocardia and Pedomicrobium, and Corynebacterium, respectively. The verification fermentation experiments indicated that the improved wheat Qu QT3 and QT4 inoculated with Granulicatella T3 and Acidothermus T4 led to significant increases in the contents of 2-phenylethanol and pentanol, as well as isobutanol and isopentanol, respectively, in the Tartary buckwheat Huangjiu. The findings benefit understanding of higher alcohols production and flavor formation mechanisms in Huangjiu fermentation. Full article

Two novel separation methods have been presented for the concurrent assessment of flumethasone pivalate (FP) and clioquinol (CL) in their combinations in ear drop formulations or in the presence of phenoxyethanol preservative (PEP) in their cream formulations. The first method is an innovative thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) method. The optimal separation was accomplished via silica gel aluminum plates F254, with a mixture of benzene, ethyl acetate and formic acid (5:5:0.2, in volumes) as the mobile system. In Method II, a new ultra-high-performance liquid chromatographic method (UHPLC) with a photodiode array detector (PDA) was presented. A reversed-phase inertsil ODS 5 µm C 18 packed column (100 Å, 4.6 mm internal diameter (I.D.) × 50 mm) at 30 °C was employed. Elution was completed in 3 min. Unfortunately, greener solvents were tested as a mobile phase, but an asymmetric peak for CL was noted. In addition, the new UHPLC method has a priority over the old HPLC one by Sayed et al., 2014, in terms of quickness and avoiding interference from the PEP preservative. Concerning the TLC method, the novel TLC method has the advantage of preventing the interference of PEP. This paper represents the first analytical approach for the concurrent assay of FP and CL in the presence of the preservative phenoxyethanol in the cream formulation. Full article

One of the major challenges in forensic document analysis is estimating the age of ink deposition on a manually written document. The present work aims to develop and optimise a methodology, based on the evaporation of 2-phenoxyethanol (PE) over time, that can contribute to ink age estimation. A black BIC^® Crystal Ballpoint Pen was purchased in a commercial area, and ink deposition began in September 2016 over 1095 days. For each ink sample, 20 microdiscs were subjected to n-hexane extraction in the presence of an internal standard (ethyl benzoate) followed by derivatisation with a silylation reagent. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method was optimised for PE-trimethylsilyl (PE-TMS) to characterise the ageing curve. The developed method presented good linearity between 0.5 and 50.0 μg mL⁻¹, as well as limits of detection and quantification of 0.026 and 0.104 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. It was possible to characterise PE-TMS concentration over time, which reveals a two-phase decay behaviour. First, there was a substantial decline between the 1st and the 33rd day of deposition, followed a by a stabilisation of the signal, which allowed to detect the presence of PE-TMS up to 3 years. Two unknown compounds were also present and allowed to identify three dating time frames for the same ink stroke: (i) between time 0 and 33 days, (ii) between time 34 and 109 days, and (iii) more than 109 days. The developed methodology allowed to characterise the behaviour of PE over time and to establish a relative dating of three-time frames. Full article