The Role Of Functional Foods in Cutaneous Anti-aging Part 2

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RED GINSENG

The roots of Panax ginseng have been used as a general tonic in Oriental medicine for several thousand years. Red ginseng is prepared by steaming and air-drying P. ginseng, and reportedly has more bioactivity than white ginseng, which is then peeled and air-dried form [34]. Red ginseng contains various ginsenosides that have antioxidant, immunostimulatory, and anti-aging activity. Our group performed the first controlled human study on 82 female volunteers to assess red ginseng's effects on photoaged skin. Compared to the placebo, the group that took 3 g/d of a red ginseng extract-containing herbal mixture for 24 weeks had decreased facial wrinkles with concomitant increases in type I procollagen synthesis(Fig.3)and fibrillin-1 fiber length (Fig. 4). Therefore, objective evidence of a reduction in facial wrinkles by long-term ingestion of red ginseng was provided for the first time; the clinical improvement was substantiated by biochemical and histological evidence of increased collagen and elastic fiber synthesis in the dermis [35]. The clinical improvement may be due to the activation.

of COL1A2 promoter and Smad signaling [36], through ginseng's estrogen-like activity [37], and/or additionally through increased hyaluronan levels by a metabolite of ginsenosides [38].

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SQUALENE AND OTHER LIPIDS

Squalene is a polyunsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon that is abundant in shark liver oil. Our group previously reported that 27 g/day(high dose)oral squalene supplementation for 90 days decreased facial wrinkles, while 13.5 g/day(low dose) increased type I procollagen mRNA levels and MED [39]. Both dosage groups had a significant decrease in facial erythema. Both dosages of squalene protected against UV-induced keratinocyte damage, as shown by reduced thymine dimer-staining cells and apoptotic cells in the skin. The antioxidant action of squalene may be implicated in all these phenomena. cistanche Australia However, the transient loose stool was experienced by 35% of subjects in the low-dose group and 55%in the high-dose group, making high-dose squalene supple-mentation unsuitable for the treatment of skin aging.

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Lipid compounds from honeybee royal jelly extracts, which are composed of mostly medium-chain aliphatic fatty acids, have been shown to possess in vitro collagen pro-duction-promoting effects. 10-hydroxy-2-decanoic acid, a characteristic constituent of lipids in royal jelly, stimulates normal human dermal fibroblast cell lines and produces transforming growth factor(TGF)β1, a cytokine that in-duces collagen synthesis [40,41]; however, these results are yet to be confirmed in controlled clinical trials.

When consumed in high amounts ranging from 4 to 10 g/d, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)and other omega-3 fatty acids reduce levels of pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive mediators, including PGE2, I-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, while decreasing UV-induced p53 upregulation in the skin, reducing DNA strand breaks, cistanche benefits and increasing sunburn threshold, hence conferring protection against UV-induced cutaneous damage [42,43].

COLLAGEN PEPTIDES

In a study by Proksch et al, oral supplementation of collagen hydrolysate composed of specific collagen peptides (2.5 g/d or 5.0 g/d for 8 weeks)increased skin elasticity in middle-aged women after 4 weeks of supplementation, and a skin moisturizing effect was observed in women over 50 years of age. The supplement had a long-lasting effect, especially in women over 50 years of age [44]. Prior studies have demonstrated that collagen hydrolysate is absorbed in the digestive tract, appears in human blood partly in a small peptide form, and is deposited in the skin for up to 96 hrs [45]. cistanche cholesterol Food-derived collagen peptides in human blood are chemotactic for dermal fibroblasts [46], and they increase the migration and growth of mouse skin fibroblasts [47]. One controlled study found that type I and V collagen increases while MMP-2 decreases, implying that the effect of collagen is protein-specific [48], and providing evidence for the improved cutaneous elasticity. In animal studies, oral administration of collagen peptide-induced an increase in fibroblast density and formation of dermal collagen fibrils in piglet skin [49] and suppressed UVB-induced decreases in skin hydration, epidermal hypertrophy, and soluble type I collagen in mouse skin [50].

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PROTEOGLYCANS

Proteoglycans (PG) are a family of complex macro-molecules consisting of a core protein with covalently attached glycosaminoglycan chains. In hairless mice, oral administration of high molecular weight PG from salmon nasal cartilage inhibited UVB-induced skin aging, ie., increased erythema and transepidermal water loss, and decreased hydration, in a molecular weight-dependent manner [51]. From decreased serum and dorsal skin inflammatory cytokine levels, it is speculated that PG acts on gut immunity and improves skin condition by inhibiting surplus inflammatory cytokine production induced by UVB irradiation. Aggrecan, the most abundant PG in cartilage, was shown to bind to hyaluronic acid in vivo[52]; in contrast, chondroitin sulfate, a degradation product of salmon nasal cartilage PG, did not show any beneficial anti-photoaging effects [53]. Therefore, the cutaneous anti-aging effects of PG are molecular weight-dependent [51].

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CONCLUSION

The advantage of functional foods is that once they go through systemic circulation inactive forms, they can then be distributed to all skin compartments--including the epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous fat, and sebum [4]--of the en-tire body, which is much more convenient and efficient than applying cosmetics topically. Many manufacturers have already begun to launch strategic combinations of nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals. Functional foods with some evidence of cutaneous anti-aging properties include carotenoids, polyphenols, other botanicals, vitamins C and E. red ginseng, squalene,omega-3 fatty acids, collagen peptides, and proteoglycans. However, since effective governmental regulation of anti-aging interventions is lacking, consumers may be misled by the manufacturer's claims. Moreover, long-term supplementation of a single micro-nutrient in higher doses might lead to"flooding" of the organism and be even harmful. In addition, some studies in humans suggest that anti-oxidant supplementation can blunt the beneficial effects of exercise in humans, probably by abrogating beneficial ROS signaling that stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and expression of oxidant defense biomolecules [54,55]. Manufacturers are therefore presently at work to achieve"nutritargeting", which means accumulating certain micronutrients selectively in specific target tissues by means of nanocolloids, microemulsions, and other means. The ball is in the court of dermatologists: they should be diligent in testing the scientific veracity of the manufacturer's claims regarding the health benefits of numerous anti-aging substances, for the good of all consumers and patients. At the same time, physicians should keep educating patients on the importance and superior efficacy of topical sunscreen and retinoid use, compared to functional foods, in preventing cutaneous aging.

This article is extracted from http://dx.doi.org/10.15280/jlm.2014.4.1.8