Selenium (Se) is mineral that is found in soil and occurs naturally in certain foods (such as whole grains, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, and seafood). Selenium, which is nutritionally essential for humans, is a constituent of more than two dozen selenoproteins that play critical roles in reproduction, thyroid hormone metabolism, DNA synthesis, and protection from oxidative damage and infection. Selenium is used to treat or prevent selenium deficiency. Selenium deficiency produces biochemical changes that might predispose people who experience additional stresses to develop certain illnesses. For example, selenium deficiency in combination with a second stress (possibly a viral infection) leads to Keshan disease, a cardiomyopathy that occurred in parts of China prior to a government-sponsored selenium supplementation program that began in the 1970s. Before the Chinese government supplementation program, adults in the Keshan disease areas had average selenium intakes of no more than 11 mcg/day; intakes of at least 20 mcg/day protect adults from Keshan disease. Selenium has been used in alternative medicine as an aid to treat Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and to treat high cholesterol. Selenium is an important enzyme in the prevention of cellular damage by free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Selenium is first metabolized to selenophosphate and selenocysteine. Selenium incorporation is genetically encoded through the RNA sequence UGA. This sequence is recognized by RNA ste loop structures called selenocysteine inserting sequences (SECIS). These structures require the binding of SECIS binding proteins (SBP-2) to recognize selenocystiene. The specialized tRNA is first bound to a serine residue which is then enzymatically processed to a selylcysteyl-tRNA by selenocystiene sythase using selenophosphate as a selenium donor. Other unidentified proteins are required as part of the binding of this tRNA to the ribosome. Numerous studies in animal models and more recent studies in humans have demonstrated cancer chemopreventive effects with Se. There is extensive evidence that monomethylated forms of Se are critical metabolites for chemopreventive effects of Se. Induction of apoptosis in transformed cells is an important chemopreventive mechanism. Apoptosis can be triggered by micromolar levels of monomethylated forms of Se independent of DNA damage and in cells having a null p53 phenotype. Cell cycle protein kinase cdk2 and protein kinase C are strongly inhibited by various forms of Se. Inhibitory mechanisms involving modification of cysteine residues in proteins by Se have been proposed that involve formation of Se adducts of the selenotrisulfide (S-Se-S) or selenenylsulfide (S-Se) type or catalysis of disulfide formation. Selenium may facilitate reactions of protein cysteine residues by the transient formation of more reactive S-Se intermediates. A novel chemopreventive mechanism is proposed involving Se catalysis of reversible cysteine/disulfide transformations that occur in a number of redox-regulated proteins, including transcription factors. A time-limited activation mechanism for such proteins, with deactivation facilitated by Se, would allow normalization of critical cellular processes in the early stages of transformation. Randomized controlled trials of selenium supplementation for cancer prevention have yielded conflicting results. In 2003, the FDA allowed a qualified health claim on foods and dietary supplements containing selenium to state that while “some scientific evidence suggests that consumption of selenium may reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer… FDA has determined that this evidence is limited and not conclusive”. Selenium is available in multivitamin/multimineral supplements and as a stand-alone supplement, often in the forms of selenomethionine or of selenium-enriched yeast (grown in a high-selenium medium) or as sodium selenite or sodium selenate.

Ascorbyl palmitate is a fat soluble vitamin C ester. An ester is simply a compound formed by the combination of an organic acid and an alcohol – in this case it is ascorbic acid and palmitic acid (a fat – which is composed of fatty acids and glycerol - an alcohol). Therefore, ascorbyl palmitate is formed by the esterification of ascorbic acid with palmitic acid to form vitamin C ester. Ascorbyl palmitate is an amphipathic molecule, meaning one end is water-soluble and the other end is fat-soluble. This dual solubility allows it to be incorporated into cell membranes. When incorporated into the cell membranes of human red blood cells, ascorbyl palmitate has been found to protect them from oxidative damage and to protect alpha-tocopherol (a fat-soluble antioxidant) from oxidation by free radicals. Basically, the fat-soluble aspect of ascorbyl palmitate extends vitamin C free radical protection into the fat parts of the body. However, the protective effects of ascorbyl palmitate on cell membranes have only been demonstrated in the test tube (in vitro). Taking ascorbyl palmitate orally may not result in any significant incorporation into cell membranes because most of it appears to be hydrolyzed (broken apart into palmitate and ascorbic acid) in the human digestive tract before it is absorbed. The ascorbic acid released by the hydrolysis of ascorbyl palmitate appears to be as bioavailable as ascorbic acid alone. The presence of ascorbyl palmitate in oral supplements contributes to the ascorbic acid content of the supplement and probably helps protect fat-soluble antioxidants in the supplement. This is also true for food products. Ascorbyl palmitate is used to increase the shelf life of vegetable oils and potato chips. The role of vitamin C in promoting collagen synthesis and its antioxidant properties have generated interest in its use on the skin. Ascorbyl palmitate is frequently used in topical preparations because it is more stable than some aqueous (water-soluble) forms of vitamin C. It is also suggested that this form of vitamin C is better able to penetrate the skin and the thin membrane of cells (due to its dual solubility), which can then go on to help produce collagen and elastin.

Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone, ubidecarenone, coenzyme Q, and abbreviated at times to CoQ10 or Q10 is a coenzyme that is ubiquitous in the bodies of most animals. It is a 1,4-benzoquinone, where Q refers to the quinone chemical group and 10 refers to the number of isoprenyl chemical subunits in its tail. This fat-soluble substance, which resembles a vitamin, is present in most eukaryotic cells, primarily in the mitochondria. It is a component of the electron transport chain and participates in aerobic cellular respiration, which generates energy in the form of ATP. Ninety-five percent of the human body’s energy is generated this way. Therefore, those organs with the highest energy requirements—such as the heart, liver, and kidney—have the highest CoQ10 concentrations. There are three redox states of CoQ10: fully oxidized (ubiquinone), semiquinone (ubisemiquinone), and fully reduced (ubiquinol). The capacity of this molecule to act as a 2 electron carrier (moving between the quinone and quinol form) and 1 electron carrier (moving between the semiquinone and one of these other forms) is central to its role in the electron transport chain, and as radical-scavenging antioxidant. Coenzyme Q10 works foremost in every cell of your body to synthesize energy. In cells' mitochondria, CoQ10 helps generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), your body's energy currency. It makes sense that organs with the highest energy needs - including the heart, liver, and kidneys - contain large amounts of CoQ10. Among its roles, ubiquinol protects fats, protein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL, a cholesterol transporter), and DNA from oxidative damage. It also regenerates vitamin E, another powerful antioxidant. Even though Coenzyme Q10 is a supplement and occurs naturally in your body, it doesn't mean that it's side effect free. However, most CoQ10 side effects are mild. Some people may experience allergies to increased Coenzyme Q10. There have been some reports of rashes and itching. Other side effects include a lowering of blood sugar within the body. CoQ10 is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of any medical condition. It is sold as a dietary supplement. In the U.S., supplements are not regulated as drugs, but as foods. How CoQ10 is manufactured is not regulated and different batches and brands may vary significantly. As an over-the-counter nutritional supplement, CoQ10 has been used to treat many things, from heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol to diabetes, breast cancer and gum disease. CoQ10 supposedly can help with immune deficiencies, increase fertility, treat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, reduce ringing in the ears, delay aging and improve skin, and increase athleticism The key benefits of coenzyme Q10 are summarized as below. A 2014 Cochrane Collaboration meta-analysis found "no convincing evidence to support or refute" the use of CoQ10 for the treatment of heart failure. Evidence with respect to preventing heart disease in those who are otherwise healthy is also poor. A 2009 Cochrane review concluded that studies looking at the effects of CoQ10 on blood pressure were unreliable, and therefore no conclusions could be made regarding its effectiveness in lowering blood pressure. Available evidence suggests that "CoQ10 is likely ineffective in moderately improving" the chorea associated with Huntington's disease. No large well-designed clinical trials of CoQ10 in cancer treatment have been done. The National Cancer Institute identified issues with the few, small studies that have been done stating, "the way the studies were done and the amount of information reported made it unclear if benefits were caused by the CoQ10 or by something else". The American Cancer Society has concluded, "CoQ10 may reduce the effectiveness of chemo and radiation therapy, so most oncologists would recommend avoiding it during cancer treatment. Lower levels of CoQ10 have also been observed in people with Parkinson's disease. Preliminary research has found that increasing CoQ10 may increase levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is thought to be lowered in people with Parkinson's disease. It has also been suggested that CoQ10 might protect brain cells from damage by free radicals. A small, randomized controlled trial examined the use of 360 mg CoQ10 or a placebo in 28 treated and stable Parkinson's disease patients. After 4 weeks, CoQ10 provided a mild but significant significant mild improvement in early Parkinson's symptoms and significantly improved performance in visual function. As an antioxidant, Coenzyme Q10 helps protect your body against the harmful effects of toxins and also aids the absorption of beneficial vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants are sometimes credited with boosting weight loss, possibly due to their energising effect on the body helping increase the fat-burning benefits of exercise.

Butylated hydroxytoluene, commonly known as BHT, is an organic compound that is used in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industry as an antioxidant. BHT is a substituted derivative of phenol. BHT helps to prevent the formation of free radicals and oxidation. When used in food products, it delays oxidative rancidity of fats and oils, and prevents loss of activity of oil-soluble vitamins. It may be found in pharmaceutical gels, creams and liquid or gelatin capsules, tablets and other pharmaceutical dosage forms. The ability of oral BHT to lead to cancer is a controversial topic, but most food industries have replaced it with butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). BHT was first used as an antioxidant food additive in 1954. BHT does have other commercial uses, as in animal feeds and in the manufacture of synthetic rubber and plastics, where it also acts as an antioxidant. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has deemed that BHT is safe enough when used in limited concentrations. It currently permits its use in concentrations of about 0.01% to 0.02% in most foods. As an emulsion stabilizer in shortening, it may be used in a somewhat higher concentration, 200 parts per million.

Norflurane (1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane) is a non-flammable gas used primarily as a "high-temperature" refrigerant for domestic refrigeration and automobile air conditioners. Other uses include plastic foam blowing, as a cleaning solvent, a propellant for the delivery of pharmaceuticals (e.g. bronchodilators), wine cork removers, gas dusters, and in air driers for removing the moisture from compressed air. Liquid Norflurane absorbs a high amount of thermal energy from the environment during its evaporation at atmospheric pressure. Norflurane is commercially available as a liquid in pressurized cylinders or cans. Norflurane is used as a propellant for some metered dose inhalers and as an inhalational anesthetic agent in animal studies.

FD&C Yellow No. 5 (Tartrazine, Colour Index No. 19140) is a color additive permitted in the United States for coloring foods (including dietary supplements), ingested and externally applied drugs, and cosmetics. It is a nitrous derivative and is known to cause allergic reactions such as asthma and urticaria, as well as having been the focus of studies on mutagenesis and carcinogenesis due to its transformation into aromatic amine sulfanilic acid after being metabolized by the gastrointestinal microflora.

Sorbitan monooleate (Span 80) is a partial oleate ester of sorbitol and its mono- and dianhydrides. Sorbitan Monooleate is a nonionic emulsifier and surfactant and used in cosmetics and foods. It is a food additive with the E number E495. Span 80 was suitable as surfactant in the preparation of Poly(divinylbenzene) emulsion-derived (PolyHIPE) solid foam. Anionic nanoparticles based on Span 80 as low-cost, simple and efficient non-viral gene-transfection systems. Sorbitan monooleate is approved by FDA to be used as an emulsifier in polymer dispersions that are used in the clarification of cane or beet sugar juice or liquor in an amount not to exceed 7.5 percent by weight in the final polymer dispersion. The additive is used in an amount not to exceed 0.70 part per million in sugar juice and 1.4 parts per million in sugar liquor.

Ethylparaben is produced naturally and found in several fruits and insects, where it acts as an antimicrobial agent. Ethylparaben is mainly used as antiseptics in cosmetics, food and medicine (E number E214). It is also can be used as feed preservatives and antiseptic for bacteria. Ethylparaben is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract or through the skin. It is hydrolyzed to p-hydroxybenzoic acid and rapidly excreted in urine without accumulating in the body. Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, do not need FDA approval before they go on the market. Broad concentration ranges reported in each product category in 1981 were < 0.1% and > 0.1% to 1%. Studies show the in vivo estrogenicity of MP and EP at human exposure levels, and indicate that populations exposed to large amounts of MP and EP may have a high burden of estrogenicity-related diseases.

Calcium stearate is a carboxylate of calcium, classified as a calcium soap. Calcium stearate is a component of some lubricants, surfactants, as well as many foodstuffs. It is a white waxy powder. Calcium stearate is a waxy material with low solubility in water, unlike traditional sodium and potassium soaps. Calcium stearate is also easy and cheap to produce and exhibits low toxicity. These attributes are the basis of many of its applications.

Montmorillonite is a very soft phyllosilicate group of minerals that form when they precipitate from water solution as microscopic crystals, known as clay. Montmorillonite is a typical weathering of aluminosilicates and one of the main minerals in many soils. Montmorillonite is the main component of bentonite that found in many sedimentary rocks. Due to its high adsorption properties, montmorillonite is used in the oil, textile, paper, and soap industries as an active component of bleaching and cloth clay. Montmorillonite is used in the oil drilling industry as a component of drilling mud, making the mud slurry viscous, which helps in keeping the drill bit cool and removing drilled solids. It is also used as a soil additive to hold soil water in drought-prone soils, used in the construction of earthen dams and levees, and to prevent the leakage of fluids. It is also used as a component of foundry sand and as a desiccant to remove moisture from air and gases. Montmorillonite is effective as an adsorptive of heavy metals and has been used and eaten from ancient time till now. For external use, montmorillonite has been used to treat contact dermatitis and in the materials produced for orthopedics, traumatology, dentistry.