A Specific Melon Concentrate Exhibits Photoprotective Effects from Antioxidant Activity in Healthy Adults

Abstract

Skin is the largest body organ and the first barrier to exogenous threats. This organ is constantly exposed to external factors such as ultraviolet radiation, which induces many adverse effects including sunburn, depigmentation, photo aging, photo immune suppression, and even skin cancer. Antioxidants seem to be good candidates in order to reduce ultraviolet-mediated damages and to prevent the health consequences of ultraviolet exposure. The present investigation aims to further characterize the potential skin photoprotective effects of a food supplementation and a topical administration of a melon concentrate alone or in combination. A clinical study assessing the Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) was first set up to evaluate photoprotection. Afterward, an independent in vitro study was performed on human skin explants from a donor to evaluate the effect of the melon concentrate at different levels including on the sunburn cells formation and on the endogenous antioxidant enzymes and its influence on melanin. Clinical study results demonstrate that melon concentrate application and/or supplementation increased MED. It also increased the endogenous antioxidant enzymes and reduced sunburn cells and melanin level on irradiated skin explants. Therefore, it is suggested that melon concentrate administration (oral and/or topical) could be a useful strategy for photoprotection due to its antioxidant properties.

Supplementation with a bioactive melon concentrate in humans and animals: prevention of oxidative damages and fatigue in the context of a moderate or eccentric physical activity

“…Conversely, the data demonstrated that the supplementation enabled to fully normalize all four parameters. These results confirmed and extended previous reports on the beneficial effects of melon concentrate supplementation in models subjected to stressful conditions (11,17,34).…”

Supplementation with a Bioactive Melon Concentrate in Humans and Animals: Prevention of Oxidative Damages and Fatigue in the Context of a Moderate or Eccentric Physical Activity

“…Conversely, the data demonstrated that the supplementation enabled all four parameters to be fully normalized. These results confirmed and extended previous reports on the beneficial effects of melon concentrate supplementation in models subjected to stressful conditions, including humans with perceived stress, horses subjected to an intense physical exercise, obese hamsters or spontaneously hypertensive rats [13,15,17,19,40].…”

Cutaneous Photoprotective Activity of a Short‐term Ingestion of High‐Flavanol Cocoa: A Nutritional Intervention Study

“…However, we can consider that these foods are not likely to be appreciated for a routine use by many consumers for reasons of caloric content, taste and, in the case of red wine, toxicity. A photoprotective activity was also found with Polypodium Leucotomos extract , green tea extract , dried melon Juice concentrate and algal extracts . However, in these cases, only the polyphenolic fraction of the extract was administered.…”