The knowledge and attitudes of pharmacists related to the use of dietary supplements: An observational study in northeastern Italy

In vitro evaluation of the immunomodulatory activity of the nutraceutical formulation AminoDefence

Immune system (IS) functionality is warranted by inter-dependent processes that balance body defences without exceeding in inflammation. An ideal nutraceutical approach should sustain the protective IS activity while controlling inflammation. The potential immunomodulatory activity of the food supplement (FS) AminoDefence was studied in resting macrophages RAW264.7 and following stimulation of bacterial- and viral-associated inflammation trough LPS and PolyI:C treatments, respectively. In unstimulated macrophages, the formulation exerted a dose-dependent immunostimulant activity by up-regulating NO, IL-6, TNF-α and MCP-1 release, while it dampened the aberrant release of these factors induced by pro-inflammatory stimuli. Exploring the contribution of single components Echinacea purpurea (E. purpurea) extract and quercetin, used at proportional concentrations than in whole formulation, a more pronounced immunostimulant effect was observed for E. purpurea, and an anti-inflammatory activity for quercetin. Hence, AminoDefence exerts an immunomodulatory activity in macrophages by effectively stimulating a protective inflammatory response and limiting it in cases of excessive inflammation.

Heavy metal and microbial testing of selected cosmetic products in the Palestinian market

Excessive and continuous use of cosmetic products containing heavy metals can lead to harmful effects. International regulations mandate limited quantities of heavy metals contamination in cosmetic preparations to ensure consumer safety. This research aims to evaluate heavy metal and microbial contamination levels in selected cosmetic products available in the Palestinian market. We collected 35 samples randomly from 23 companies, representing four product types, and analyzed them for the presence of seven heavy metals: zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and arsenic (As) using an atomic absorption spectrometer. We also interviewed pharmacists who sold these cosmetics to assess their knowledge of allowed limits and toxic effects associated with increased heavy metal content in cosmetics. The results indicated that all tested products exceeded the allowed limit for Cd (9.5 ± 2.3 ppm), Cu (33.8 ± 9.2 ppm), and Zn (151.0 ± 7.4 ppm). However, none of the tested samples showed microbial contamination. These findings underscore the significant heavy metal contamination of cosmetics present in the Palestinian market. Thus, there is a pressing need to register and quality-test all cosmetic products sold in the Palestinian market and to raise the pharmacists' awareness and knowledge regarding heavy metals in cosmetics.

Suspected adverse reactions to medications and food supplements containing Serenoa repens: A worldwide analysis of pharmacovigilance and phytovigilance spontaneous reports

The safety of Serenoa repens (SR)-containing products was evaluated conducting a retrospective worldwide analysis of pharmaco- and phytovigilance report forms of suspected adverse reactions (SARs) collected up to 31 January 2022. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of serious SAR. A total of 1810 report forms were analysed; 92% of subjects were males, with a median age of 69 years; 44% of cases were defined as serious. Subjects exposed to dietary supplements had a higher risk of developing serious SARs (OR: 1.60 [95% CI: 1.20-2.15]), as subjects exposed to 2-5 (OR: 1. 83 [95% CI: 1.30-2.58]) or more than 5 (OR: 3.45 [95% CI: 2.36-5.06]) suspect/interacting products. The probability of experiencing serious SAR was higher for subjects exposed to concomitant products (OR: 1.55 [95% CI: 1.15-2.08]), to more than four active compounds (OR: 4.38 [95% CI: 3.21-5.99]) and to SR for more than 14 days (OR: 1.89 [95% CI: 1.10-3, 22]), and lower for subjects exposed to higher doses of SR (OR: of 0.34 [95% CI: 0.20-0.58]). This evidence improves awareness on safety of SR containing products, suggesting the need of a further update of periodic reviews by national and international regulatory agencies.

Health Literacy and Critical Lecture as Key Elements to Detect and Reply to Nutrition Misinformation on Social Media: Analysis between Spanish Healthcare Professionals

Health misinformation about nutrition and other health aspects on social media is a current public health concern. Healthcare professionals play an essential role in efforts to detect and correct it. The present study focuses on analyzing the use of competencies associated with training in methodology, health literacy, and critical lecture in order to detect sources of health misinformation that use scientific articles to support their false information. A qualitative study was conducted between 15 and 30 January 2022, wherein the participants were recruited from active users from a nutrition conversation on Twitter, diets, and cancer and defined themselves as healthcare professionals. This study demonstrates that health literacy and critical lecture competencies allow for the detection of more misinformation messages and are associated with a high rate of responses to users that spread the misinformation messages. Finally, this study proposes the necessity of developing actions to improve health literacy and critical lecture competencies between healthcare professionals. However, in order to achieve this, health authorities must develop strategies to psychologically support those healthcare professionals faced with bullying as a result of their activity on social media debunking health hoaxes.