Effect of a fucose-rich polysaccharide preparation on the age-dependent evolution of the skin surface micro-relief

Pathol Biol (Paris). 2003 Dec;51(10):586-90. doi: 10.1016/j.patbio.2003.09.009.

Abstract

It was demonstrated previously that the evaluation of the microdepressionary skin surface relief by semi-automated computerised morphometry enables the determination of several of its geometrical parameters, such as, the average number of polygons in a given microscopic field, and/or the average surface of the polygons. Using this procedure, it could be shown in a study on about 100 persons, males and females, aged from 6 months to 89 years that these parameters undergo age-related alterations. These alterations are faster at younger ages, slow down at middle ages and accelerate after 50-60 years again. Taken at a sun-protected site, the interior face of the forearm, close to the elbow, this test reflects the effect of chronological ageing of the skin surface micro-relief. In the present work we tested the effect of a preparation containing a fucose-rich polysaccharide as active principle on the microdepressionary skin surface micro-relief evaluated by a morphometric method, comparing results before treatment and after 4 weeks of treatment. We could demonstrate on 20 female volunteers, aged from 39 to 71 years, that after 4 weeks of treatment with the abovementioned preparation there was a significant improvement of the skin surface relief, as shown by the displacement of geometrical characteristics of 17 treated skins out of 20, towards a "younger" pattern, as for instance the increase of the average number of polygons in a given microscopic field. This improvement was less than 15% of the untreated value for two persons, and more than 15% for 15 women out of 20. The average improvement was 37.16%, and for the 15 persons showing more than 15% improvement, it was nearly 50%, corresponding to a decrease of apparent age by 10-15 years. These results suggest that a treatment with the fucose-rich polysaccharide preparation can slow down human skin ageing and even can reverse age-dependent skin alterations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Child
  • Female
  • Fucose / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Polysaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / isolation & purification
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / pharmacology
  • Skin / drug effects
  • Skin / immunology*
  • Skin / pathology
  • Skin Aging / drug effects*

Substances

  • Polysaccharides
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial
  • Fucose