Systemic and skin-targeting beneficial effects of lycopene-enriched ice cream: A pilot study.

The health-promoting dietary antioxidant lycopene has limited natural bioavailability, but lycopene-rich functional foods can improve its bioavailability. We assessed a new lycopene-enriched ice cream for systemic antioxidant effects and influence on morphological characteristics of facial skin surface in healthy volunteers. In a randomized crossover study, we used 4-wk dietary interventions with either control or lycopene-enriched ice cream. Samples of serum and residual skin surface components (RSSC) from facial skin were taken before interventions, at 2 wk, and at intervention end. Lycopene concentration, conventional blood biochemistry, and oxidative stress biomarkers comprising inflammatory oxidative damage and low-density lipoprotein peroxidase proteins were assessed in the serum. Lycopene-associated immunofluorescence, lipid droplet size, corneocyte desquamation, and microbial presence were measured in the RSSC. The results show that lycopene concentrations in the serum and skin steadily increased during lycopene-enriched ice cream consumption. Whereas we found no intervention-dependent changes in conventional biochemical parameters, both inflammatory oxidative damage and low-density lipoprotein peroxidase protein values significantly decreased by the end of intervention with lycopene-enriched ice cream, but remained unchanged during control ice cream consumption. Control ice cream significantly increased corneocyte desquamation and bacterial presence in the RSSC. These adverse effects, which could potentially predispose consumers to acne development, were absent when volunteers consumed lycopene-enriched ice cream. We concluded that lycopene-enriched ice cream is a new functional food with clear antioxidant properties. In addition, enrichment with lycopene may alleviate proinflammatory action of ice cream at the level of facial skin, thus decreasing diet-associated acne development risk in young consumers.

Continuous astaxanthin intake reduces oxidative stress and reverses age-related morphological changes of residual skin surface components in middle-aged volunteers.

Oxidative stress accelerates skin aging, and dietary supplementation with antioxidants may alleviate it. Morphological analysis of the residual skin surface components (RSSCs) allows detecting age-related changes in corneocyte desquamation, microbial presence, and lipid droplet size. We hypothesized that continuous ingestion of carotenoid antioxidant astaxanthin (4 mg/d) for 4 weeks could influence RSCC morphology and evaluated RSSC samples taken from middle-aged subjects before and after this dietary intervention. The study included 31 volunteers (17 men and 14 women) over the age of 40. RSSC samples were collected from the surface of the facial skin at the beginning (day 0) and end (day 29) of the study. In addition, blood samples were taken on days 0, 15, and 29 for measuring plasma levels of malondialdehyde that allowed assessing systemic oxidative stress. The results demonstrated that plasma malondialdehyde consistently decreased during astaxanthin consumption (by 11.2% on day 15 and by 21.7% on day 29). The analysis of RSSC samples has revealed significantly decreased levels of corneocyte desquamation (P=.0075) and microbial presence (P=.0367) at the end of the study. These phenomena as well as a significant (P=.0214) increase in lipid droplet size were more strongly manifested among obese (body mass index >30 kg/m2) subjects. All described RSSC changes correspond to a shift toward characteristics of skin associated with a younger age. The results confirm our hypothesis by demonstrating that continuous astaxanthin consumption produces a strong antioxidant effect resulting in facial skin rejuvenation which is especially pronounced in obese subjects.

Morphological Characteristics of Residual Skin Surface Components Collected from the Surface of Facial Skin in Women of Different Age.

BACKGROUND: Problems of skin aging and its prevention currently attract increasing attention with the growth of human life expectancy. The morphology of the stratum corneum (SC) is well known, but investigation of age-related changes of its structure is difficult in the absence of non-invasive sampling methods. The residual skin surface components (RSSC) that overlay the SC can be easily collected non-invasively. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine morphology of RSSC samples collected from the surface of facial skin of healthy female volunteers of different age. METHODS: RSSC samples were non-invasively collected from 53 adult female volunteers (22 aged in the range 18∼25 years and 31 aged in the range 50∼73 years). The samples were analysed microscopically. RESULTS: Distinct age-related changes were determined for lipid droplet size, corneocyte desquamation level and lipid crystal count. There was a significant (p=0.0006) decrease in lipid droplet size among older women. Similarly, significantly (p=0.0401) lower lipid crystal numbers were present in the older group. Conversely, corneocyte desquamation was significantly higher (p=0.0007) in older women. No age-related difference in microbial presence in the RSSC could be detected. Result patterns were generally similar to those previously found in male volunteers; however gender-related differences in the absolute values were revealed. CONCLUSION: Non-invasively collected RSSC samples allow identifying age-related changes on facial skin surface. The results of this study highlight gender-dependence of distinct elements of age-associated impairment of epidermal barrier and can be employed for developing new approaches to prevent changes associated with skin aging.