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Background: Despite legislation aimed to protect the population against skin sensitization in the European Union (EU), over one quarter of the general population is sensitised to at least one chemical., Objectives: To provide an overview and comparison of European legislation concerning skin sensitization. In addition, we gathered the opinions of experts and stakeholders regarding improvements in the legislation and risk assessment process in the EU, to provide suggestions for improvement., Methods: Legislation was identified and compared. Four questionnaires were created towards industry, competent authorities and regulators, researchers/clinicians, and non-governmental organisations. The questions concerned the legislation, the risk assessment process, data collection and potential improvements., Results: Seven areas of legislation were analysed. The legislation was found to be unharmonised, for example, differing modes of restriction and accepted tests for skin sensitization. Approximately 40% of the questionnaire respondents found that the EU legislation and tools were not sufficiently protective. To improve the legislation 83% suggested harmonisation and 68% suggested better data sharing. Other areas were: improved exposure data (78%), better understanding of the skin sensitization mechanism (67%) and non-animal tests (66%)., Conclusions: Stakeholders had varying confidence towards the protection of European citizens against skin sensitization. Multiple areas for improvement regarding the legislations and the risk assessment process were identified., (© 2025 The Author(s). Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Contact allergy (CA) is a frequent condition in children; however, newer estimates of the prevalence of CA in children are lacking. Herein, we aim to provide an estimate of the prevalence of CA in children from 2010 to 2024. Two authors independently searched PubMed, Embase and Web of Science for studies reporting the prevalence of positive patch tests (PPTs) to allergens in populations including ≥ 100 children (< 18 years). Proportion meta-analyses were conducted to calculate the pooled prevalence estimates of CA in children. Seventeen studies comprising 11 593 children undergoing patch testing with 4176 (36%) PPTs were eligible for inclusion. The allergen with the highest prevalence was nickel (11.9% [95% confidence interval [CI], 8.6%-15.71%]), followed by cobalt (6.6% [95% CI, 4.2%-9.5%]), cocamidopropyl betaine (5.5% [95% CI, 3.1-8.7]), bacitracin (5.2% [95% CI, 1.2%-10.0%]), fragrance mix I (4.8% [95% CI, 2.9%-7.1%]) and methylisothiazolinone (4.3% [95% CI, 2.2%-7.2%]). Children with atopic dermatitis had higher rates of PPTs for cocamidopropyl betaine, propylene glycol, lanolin alcohol and carba mix. Across geographical areas, higher prevalences of several allergens were found in the United States compared to Europe, for example, for methylisothiazolinone. This meta-analysis confirmed that CA is frequent in children across geographical areas; however, differences in the frequency of top allergens depend on regulatory interventions, indicating their value., (© 2025 The Author(s). Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Henna is a powdered plant material traditionally used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes in Asia and the Mediterranean region. In North America and Europe, however, it is only used to colour the hair and decorate the body. This colouring process is due to the action of the secondary metabolite lawsone, which enables henna to produce orange to red shades of colour. The final colour effect of the henna treatment on the hair depends on many factors, including the amount of lawsone in the product used. Unfortunately, there are also henna products on the market that contain the strong allergen para-phenylenediamine (PPD). Henna products whose manufacturers do not inform consumers about the addition of PPD are a particular problem., Objectives: The aim of this study was therefore not only the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of lawsone but also of PPD in selected products offered for sale as henna., Methods: Since HPLC assays are one of the most sensitive, rapid and reliable methods for the quality control of herbal raw materials, we developed and validated two independent HPLC methods with UV detection for both analytes., Results and Conclusions: We found that only about 60% of the tested cosmetic products were good quality natural products containing not < 0.5% lawsone (the range was between 0.5% and 1.0%). On the other hand, up to 36% of the henna samples contained PPD (the range was between 1% and 9%), and only three out of five of these products were properly labelled. Unfortunately, most of the henna used by Polish consumers comes from online retailers and can be shipped from different regions of the world. It is difficult to adequately control this market. Therefore, proper consumer education and awareness of the risk of PPD exposure when using henna could also be crucial for the prevention and management of PPD allergy., (© 2025 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: There is an urgent need to develop bioprocesses independent of fossil resources to address resource depletion and mitigate environmental harm. Transitioning to a bio-based economy requires prioritizing chemical production processes that utilize renewable resources, ensuring sustainability and environmental responsibility. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and its derivatives are promising building blocks, ranked among the top 12 bio-based molecules derived from biomass. This study investigates the potential of wine residues as substrates for HMF production and explores the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a robust industrial microbial cell factory, as a whole-cell biocatalyst for converting HMF into high-value compounds, offering an alternative to chemical synthesis. Findings: Several S. cerevisiae strains were compared for their ability to convert HMF, demonstrating varying capacities for oxidation or reduction. For the first time, HMF derivatives with potential industrial applications were produced using an HMF-rich hydrolysate obtained from sustainable processing of wine-growing waste, such as grape pomace and must surplus. The selected yeast strain was engineered to express the oxidoreductase enzyme of HMF/Furfural from Cupriavidua basilensis strain HMF14, resulting in a 15-fold increase in the accumulation of oxidized derivatives such as 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of leveraging wine residues and engineered S. cerevisiae strains to develop sustainable bioprocesses for producing valuable HMF derivatives, thereby contributing to the advancement of bio-based chemical production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of different chemical treatments of apple pomace in order to produce an economical culture medium for the propagation of two non-conventional yeast strains. An experimental design approach was used for the optimization of the hydrolysis conditions of apple pomace. Both acid and alkaline treatment conditions were tested. The optimal hydrolysis conditions to disrupt the pomace lignocellulosic structure were 1% w/v of H3PO4, 121 °C, and 40 min for acid treatment, while 6% w/v of NH4OH, 20 °C, and 2 h were optimal for the alkaline condition. Saccharomyces uvarum NPCC 1420 and Saccharomyces eubayanus NPCC 1292 yeasts were able to grow in the liquid fraction obtained from both acid and alkaline treatments. However, the medium with the acid treatment was found to be more suitable for yeast growth, showing, for both strains, higher µmax and biomass production and lower td and λ than that observed for the medium with the alkaline treatment. According to the growth parameter analysis for both strains, the acid treatment was selected for further studies. By taking advantage of this agroindustrial by-product, a circular economy approach is promoted, reducing environmental impact and fostering sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]