(Press-News.org) Contact information: Jamie Brown
jamie.brown@liverpool.ac.uk
44-151-794-2248
University of Liverpool
How 'slippers' can end mascara irritation
New test reduces need for animal testing
An end to mascara testing on animals could be in sight thanks to tiny organisms nicknamed 'slipper' and 'eyelash'.
Mascara is a mild irritant, and rabbits have, historically, been used to test how much discomfort new products can cause. However, a cheaper and more reliable test is now being developed by scientists at the University of Liverpool, involving miniscule protozoa. This will remove animal cruelty from the equation.
The scientists from the University's Institute of Integrative Biology were able to examine potential toxicity caused by mascara, based on the growth of the protozoa when placed in experimental chambers containing the cosmetic.
Six different brands of mascara were tested, by painting it on small glass plates and placing these in the chambers. The protozoa and their food were then added. The protozoa– the slipper ciliate (Paramecium caudatum) and the eyelash ciliate (Blepharisma japonicum) – were chosen carefully because of their large size, their historic use as model organisms, and their genetic similarities to humans.
Their large size enabled the scientists to visually measure population growth using a microscope, and they were able to show that this varied according to the brand of mascara and the amount in the chamber. There was a substantial difference between brands, with some killing the protozoa and others not harming them at all.
Dr David Montagnes, who supervised the project suggests: "This test has great potential for reducing the use of rabbits as it is both cheap and reliable, and while the protozoa have a similar metabolism to animals they are not classed as such. Indeed, the traditional test used on rabbits – the Draize test – was developed more than 40 years ago and is both time consuming and expensive, as well as giving rise to ethical issues."
Montagnes went on to add: "When you can develop a simpler and cheaper alternative, there is really no need to test cosmetics on animals."
The research was part of an undergraduate final-year research project (the senior author is the student, Hayley Thomason), as such it was funded by the School of Life Sciences at the University of Liverpool. It is now published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Sciences: doi: 10.1111/ics.12106
Hayley said: "I'm very keen to establish a career as a cosmetic scientist and having the opportunity to work on a research project like this is an important step on that path."
INFORMATION:
How 'slippers' can end mascara irritation
New test reduces need for animal testing
2014-01-03
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
How best to go about getting seed money through crowdfunding
2014-01-02
How best to go about getting seed money through crowdfunding
It can be by touting yourself, Hebrew University research shows
Jerusalem, January 1, 2014 --- Early on in our careers, many of us were tutored as to how to best write an effective and ...
Earthquake lights linked to rift environments, subvertical faults
2014-01-02
Earthquake lights linked to rift environments, subvertical faults
SAN FRANCISCO – Rare earthquake lights are more likely to occur on or near rift environments, where subvertical faults allow stress-induced electrical currents to flow rapidly to the ...
Longmanshen fault zone still hazardous, suggest new reports
2014-01-02
Longmanshen fault zone still hazardous, suggest new reports
Seismological Research Letters publishes special issue on 2013 Lushan, China earthquake
SAN FRANCISCO – The 60-kilometer segment of the fault northeast of the 2013 Lushan rupture is the place ...
Jumping DNA in the brain may be a cause of schizophrenia
2014-01-02
Jumping DNA in the brain may be a cause of schizophrenia
Stretches of DNA called retrotransposons, often dubbed "junk DNA", might play an important role in schizophrenia. In a study published today in the journal Neuron, a Japanese team revealed that LINE-1 retrotransposons are abnormally ...
Roses are red -- why some petunias are blue
2014-01-02
Roses are red -- why some petunias are blue
Researchers have uncovered the secret recipe to making some petunias such a rare shade of blue. The findings may help to explain and manipulate the color of other ornamental flowers, not to mention the taste of fruits and wine, say ...
Plant used in Chinese medicine fights chronic pain
2014-01-02
Plant used in Chinese medicine fights chronic pain
A plant used for centuries as a pain reliever in Chinese medicine may be just what the doctor ordered, especially when it comes to chronic pain. A key pain-relieving ingredient is a compound known as dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB) ...
JCI early table of contents for Jan. 2, 2014
2014-01-02
JCI early table of contents for Jan. 2, 2014
Opioid tolerance and pain hypersensitivity associated with mTOR activation
Currently, opioids are the standard treatment for chronic pain. Patients on opioids for long periods of time become desensitized to ...
Opioid tolerance and pain hypersensitivity associated with mTOR activation
2014-01-02
Opioid tolerance and pain hypersensitivity associated with mTOR activation
Currently, opioids are the standard treatment for chronic pain. Patients on opioids for long periods of time become desensitized to these drugs or become paradoxically hypersensitive ...
Doxorubicin-associated mitochondrial iron accumulation promotes cardiotoxicity
2014-01-02
Doxorubicin-associated mitochondrial iron accumulation promotes cardiotoxicity
Doxorubicin is a widely used as a component of chemotherapy regimes; however, the use of doxorubicin is associated with severe cardiotoxicity. It is unclear exactly how doxorubicin ...
Biologists discover solution to problem limiting development of human stem cell therapies
2014-01-02
Biologists discover solution to problem limiting development of human stem cell therapies
Biologists at UC San Diego have discovered an effective strategy that could prevent the human immune system from rejecting the grafts derived from human embryonic ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Breathable yet protective: Next-gen medical textiles with micro/nano networks
Frequency-engineered MXene supercapacitors enable efficient pulse charging in TENG–SC hybrid systems
Developed an AI-based classification system for facial pigmented lesions
Achieving 20% efficiency in halogen-free organic solar cells via isomeric additive-mediated sequential processing
New book Terraglossia reclaims language, Country and culture
The most effective diabetes drugs don't reach enough patients yet
Breast cancer risk in younger women may be influenced by hormone therapy
Strategies for staying smoke-free after rehab
Commentary questions the potential benefit of levothyroxine treatment of mild hypothyroidism during pregnancy
Study projects over 14 million preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues
New study reveals 33% gap in transplant access for UK’s poorest children
Dysregulated epigenetic memory in early embryos offers new clues to the inheritance of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
IVF and IUI pregnancy rates remain stable across Europe, despite an increasing uptake of single embryo transfer
It takes a village: Chimpanzee babies do better when their moms have social connections
From lab to market: how renewable polymers could transform medicine
Striking increase in obesity observed among youth between 2011 and 2023
No evidence that medications trigger microscopic colitis in older adults
NYUAD researchers find link between brain growth and mental health disorders
Aging-related inflammation is not universal across human populations, new study finds
University of Oregon to create national children’s mental health center with $11 million federal grant
Rare achievement: UTA undergrad publishes research
Fact or fiction? The ADHD info dilemma
Genetic ancestry linked to risk of severe dengue
Genomes reveal the Norwegian lemming as one of the youngest mammal species
Early birds get the burn: Monash study finds early bedtimes associated with more physical activity
Groundbreaking analysis provides day-by-day insight into prehistoric plankton’s capacity for change
Southern Ocean saltier, hotter and losing ice fast as decades-long trend unexpectedly reverses
Human fishing reshaped Caribbean reef food webs, 7000-year old exposed fossilized reefs reveal
Killer whales, kind gestures: Orcas offer food to humans in the wild
Hurricane ecology research reveals critical vulnerabilities of coastal ecosystems
[Press-News.org] How 'slippers' can end mascara irritationNew test reduces need for animal testing