J Cosmet Sci 2002 Jan-Feb;53(1):1-9 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut


Treatment of human skin with an extract of Fucus vesiculosus changes its
thickness and mechanical properties.

Fujimura T, Tsukahara K, Moriwaki S, Kitahara T, Sano T, Takema Y.

Biological Science Laboratories, Kao Corporation, 2606 Akabane, Ichikai-machi,
Haga-gun, Tochigi 321-3497, Japan.

Recently the researchers found that an extract of Fucus vesiculosus, which is a
type of seaweed, promotes the contraction of fibroblast-populated collagen gels
through increased expression of integrin molecules. In this study, they
investigated the effects of topical application of an aqueous extract of this
alga on the thickness and the mechanical properties of human skin. A gel
formulation that included 1% of the extract was applied topically to human cheek
skin twice daily for five weeks. A significant decrease in skin thickness
measured by B-mode ultrasound was elicited, as was a significant improvement in
elasticity measured with a Cutometer as compared with controls. In cheek skin,
the thickness normally increases and the elasticity usually decreases with age.
These results suggest that the Fucus vesiculosus extract possesses anti-aging
activities and should be useful for a variety of cosmetics.

Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Controlled Clinical Trial

PMID: 11917251 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]



1: Biol Pharm Bull 2000 Oct;23(10):1180-4 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut


Fucoidan is the active component of fucus vesiculosus that promotes contraction
of fibroblast-populated collagen gels.

Fujimura T, Shibuya Y, Moriwaki S, Tsukahara K, Kitahara T, Sano T, Nishizawa Y,
Takema Y.

Biological Science Laboratories, Kao Corporation, Haga, Tochigi, Japan.
301620@...

The fibroblast-populated collagen gel culture method has been evaluated as a
dermal model of wound contraction and granulation in tissues during the wound
healing process and as an in vitro model of dermal tissue. We previously
reported that an extract of Fucus vesiculosus promoted fibroblast-populated
collagen gel contraction and that the promotion of the gel contraction was due
to the increased expression of integrin alpha2beta1 on the surface of the
fibroblasts. In this study, we investigated the active component of the extract
of this alga using extraction and fractionation techniques. Water extraction of
the alga was followed by precipitation with excess ethanol and then gel
filtration with the boundary molecular weight of 30,000. The high molecular
weight fraction obtained from gel filtration was fractionated by ion exchange
chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose column to give active fractions
that have more polar properties. These polar, high molecular weight fractions
which contained molecules with fucose and sulfate groups showed significant gel
contraction-promoting activity and integrin expression-enhancing activity, and
were estimated to be the sulfated-polysaccharide fucoidan. Commercially
available fucoidan showed similar activities to the above-described fraction of
this alga. Although it remains necessary to precisely identify the specific
active component, the above results indicate that fucoidan is the active
component which promotes collagen gel contraction, and also indicate the
possibility that it dose so by enhancing the integrin alpha2beta1 expression.

PMID: 11041247 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]