Effect of Collagen Tripeptide and Adjusting for Climate Change on Skin Hydration in Middle-Aged Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Although collagen is widely used in various forms as a functional ingredient in skin care products, the effect of oral supplementation of collagen tripeptides (CTPs) on human skin is unclear. Moreover, the majority of the positive outcomes of CTP reported so far have not considered the effect of weather conditions. Therefore, we tested the effect of CTP and adjusting for climate change on skin properties in middle-aged women.Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 84 women between 40 and 60 years of age. Participants were randomized to receive placebo or 1,000 mg CTP daily for 12 weeks. CTP was prepared from the skin of Nile Tilapia by the digestion method using collagenase from non-pathogenic bacteria of the genus Bacillus. Skin hydration, wrinkling, and elasticity were assessed at baseline and after 6 and 12 weeks with adjustments for temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet A exposure during the evaluation time using weather data from the regional meteorological office.Results: Of the 82 participants, 74 completed the trial without adverse effects. Compared with the control group, trans-epidermal water loss was reduced more in the CTP group after 12 weeks (P < 0.05). At 12 weeks, even after adjustment for humidity, temperature, and UVA in the region, the difference of the two groups in TEWL remained statistically significant (adjusted for humidity and temperature, P = 0.024; adjusted for UVA, P = 0.032; adjusted for temperature, high temperature, and ultraviolet A, P = 0.031). In terms of skin hydration, more improvement was evident in the CTP group than in the control group. In the subgroup analysis, subjects under 50 years of age showed a significant improvement in total score and moisture in the subjective skin improvement questionnaire after taking CTP for 12 weeks. Application of CTP was well-tolerated, and no notable adverse effect was reported from both groups.Discussion: Our findings suggest that oral ingestion of CTP from the Skin of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is well-tolerated and helps reduce water loss in in middle-aged women.Clinical Trial Registration:www.clinicaltrials.gov/, Identifier: NCT03505684.

HSP27 Protects Skin From Ultraviolet B -Induced Photodamage by Regulating Autophagy and Reactive Oxygen Species Production

“…In animal experiments, the expression of HSP27 was increased in the tissues with UVB exposure, and siRNA was also applied to specifically down-regulate the expression of HSP27 in mice ear skin ( Figures 4A,B ). Studies illustrated that epidermal incrassation and differentiation in connective tissue were prevalent in photodamage skin ( Tak et al, 2020 ). H&E and Masson-trichrome staining were used to assess the histopathologic changes of mice skin after 24 h of the last UVB irradiation.…”

Effect of a Topical Collagen Tripeptide on Antiaging and Inhibition of Glycation of the Skin: A Pilot Study

“…Although the antioxidant ability of the CTP is due to the presence of hydrophobic amino acids in the peptide [10], the exact molecular mechanism underlying how the CTP acts as an antiaging product has not been fully uncovered. A previous placebo-controlled clinical trial demonstrated that oral ingestion of the CTP helped retain skin water contents [11]. Moreover, a recent study on the cutaneous hydration effect of CTP intake in mice showed significant reductions in transepidermal water loss, scratching behavior, and levels of hyaluronidase-1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6, while showing increased water content and hyaluronan synthase-2 levels; these results suggested that CTP products could enhance skin hydration with potential as a skin hydration agent [12].…”

Protective Effects of Collagen Tripeptides in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells by Restoring ROS-Induced Transcriptional Repression

“…Many studies have revealed the biological effects of CTP, including the acceleration of fracture healing [ 2 ], improving experimental osteoarthritis [ 5 ], exerting an anti-inflammatory effect for patients with atopic dermatitis [ 6 ] and antiphotoaging effects [ 7 ], and improving dry skin [ 8 , 9 ]. Previous studies have shown that CTP induces collagen expression via a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade [ 29 ] and inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase-4 activity [ 30 ], but the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways underlying these biological effects have not been fully elucidated.…”

“…Additionally, Hakuta et al reported an anti-inflammatory effect of CTP for patients with atopic dermatitis and inhibitory effects of secretions of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in vitro [ 6 ]. Additionally, oral administration of CTP improved skin barrier function in ultraviolet B-exposed hairless mice [ 7 ] and dryness or pruritus of dry skin in humans [ 8 , 9 ]. For atherosclerosis, an inhibitory effect of CTP on atherosclerosis development was shown in atherosclerosis model rabbits [ 10 ].…”