Effects of red ginseng on the elastic properties of human skin

Abstract

Background Red ginseng contains components, including microelements, vitamins, essential oils, and fatty acids, that can be used in skincare to delay the aging process. We investigated the effects of red ginseng treatment on skin elasticity by assessing cellular stiffness and measuring collagen protein synthesis. Methods Human dermal fibroblasts were treated with red ginseng, and the resulting changes in stiffness were investigated using atomic force microscopy. Cytoskeletal changes and mRNA expression of biomarkers of aging, including that of procollagens I and VII, elastin, and fibrillin-1, were investigated. Collagen in a human skin equivalent treated with red ginseng was visualized via hematoxylin and eosin staining, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Results and conclusion The stiffness of fibroblasts was significantly reduced by treatment with red ginseng concentrations of ≥ 0.8 mg/mL. The ratio of F-actin to G-actin decreased after treatment, which corresponded to a change in fibroblast stiffness. The storage modulus ( G ′) and loss modulus ( G ″) of the skin equivalent were both lowered by red ginseng treatment. This result indicates that the viscoelasticity of the skin equivalent can be restored by red ginseng treatment.

Wound Healing Effect of Gintonin Involves Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Signaling Pathway in Keratinocytes

“…Rapid wound healing and skin regeneration require the use of pharmaceuticals after a skin injury. Many herbal extracts and compounds have been demonstrated to have wound-healing effects on injured skin [17][18][19]27,[32][33][34]. Ginseng extract can also promote skin wound healing [17][18][19].…”

“…Many herbal extracts and compounds have been demonstrated to have wound-healing effects on injured skin [17][18][19]27,[32][33][34]. Ginseng extract can also promote skin wound healing [17][18][19]. However, its detailed active components and mechanism of action have not yet been clearly explained.…”

“…Gintonin can also promote hair growth and proliferation of hair follicle cells in mice [ 16 ]. Ginseng extracts were also reported to promote skin wound healing [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. We have shown that a gintonin-enriched fraction (GEF) of ginseng can enhance hyaluronic acid and collagen release from human skin fibroblasts via LPA receptor activation [ 20 ].…”

“…Therefore, controlling the biological events of these cell types may be important for promoting wound healing of the skin. Many extracts derived from herbal plants are known to have skin wound healing activity [17][18][19]27,[32][33][34]. However, the skin wound healing effect and mechanism of action of gintonin in keratinocytes have not been elucidated yet.…”

Numerical analysis of the strain distribution in skin domes formed upon the application of hypobaric pressure

“…7 Also, the effect of different cosmetics on the skin and tactile perception can be evaluated by measuring the elasticity of skin. 8,9 There are several approaches to test skin elasticity, but deformation testing is most commonly employed to assess the mechanical properties of skin in vivo, including extension, 10 torsion, 11 suction, 12 and indentation testing. [13][14][15][16] These mechanical tests can be coupled with imaging techniques and numerical modelling using finite element method (FEM) to map live stress distributions on skin in vivo.…”