Hyaluronic Acid (HA)-based dermal formulations have rapidly gained a large consensus in aesthetic medicine and dermatology. HA, highly expressed in the Extracellular Matrix (ECM), acts as an activator of biological cascades, stimulating cell migration and proliferation, and operating as a regulator of the skin immune surveillance, through specific interactions with its receptors. HA may be used in topical formulations, as dermal inducer, for wound healing. Moreover, intradermal HA formulations (injectable HA) provide an attractive tool to counteract skin aging (e.g., facial wrinkles, dryness, and loss of elasticity) and restore normal dermal functions, through simple and minimally invasive procedures. Biological activity of a commercially available hyaluronic acid, Profhilo®, based on NAHYCO™ technology, was compared to H-HA or L-HA alone. The formation of hybrid cooperative complexes was confirmed by the sudden drop in η0 values in the rheological measurements. Besides, hybrid cooperative complexes proved stable to hyaluronidase (BTH) digestion. Using in vitro assays, based on keratinocytes, fibroblasts cells and on the Phenion® Full Thickness Skin Model 3D, hybrid cooperative complexes were compared to H-HA, widely used in biorevitalization procedures, and to L-HA, recently proposed as the most active fraction modulating the inflammatory response. Quantitative real-time PCR analyses were accomplished for the transcript quantification of collagens and elastin. Finally immunofluorescence staining permitted to evaluate the complete biosynthesis of all the molecules investigated. An increase in the expression levels of type I and type III collagen in fibroblasts and type IV and VII collagen in keratinocytes were found with the hybrid cooperative complexes, compared to untreated cells (CTR) and to the H-HA and L-HA treatments. The increase in elastin expression found in both cellular model and in the Phenion® Full Thickness Skin Model 3D also at longer time (up to 7 days), supports the clinically observed improvement of skin elasticity. The biomarkers analyzed suggest an increase of tissue remodeling in the presence of Profhilo®, probably due to the long lasting release and the concurrent action of the two HA components.

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Chondroitin sulfate is a glycosaminoglycan widely used as active principle of anti-osteoarthritis drugs and nutraceuticals, manufactured by extraction from animal cartilaginous tissues. During the manufacturing procedures, another glycosaminoglycan, the keratan sulfate, might be contemporarily withdrawn, thus eventually constituting a contaminant difficult to be determined because of its structural similarity. Considering the strict regulatory rules on the pureness of pharmaceutical grade chondrotin sulfate there is an urgent need and interest to determine the residual keratan sulfate with specific, sensitive and reliable methods. To pursue this aim, in this paper, for the first time, we set up a multi-analytical and preparative approach based on: i) a newly developed method by high performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection, ii) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses, iii) size exclusion chromatography analyses coupled with triple detector array module and on iv) strong anion exchange chromatography separation. Varied KS percentages, in the range from 0.1 to 19.0% (w/w), were determined in seven pharmacopeia and commercial standards and nine commercial samples of different animal origin and manufacturers. Strong anion exchange chromatography profiles of the samples showed three or four different peaks. These peaks analyzed by high performance anion-exchange with pulsed amperometric detection and size exclusion chromatography with triple detector array, ion chromatography and by mono- or two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance revealed a heterogeneous composition of both glycosaminoglycans in terms of sulfation grade and molecular weight. High molecular weight species (>100 KDa) were also present in the samples that counted for chains still partially linked to a proteoglycan core.