Glucosamine: an ingredient with skin and other benefits

Abstract

Both glucosamine and its derivative N-acetyl glucosamine are amino-monosaccharides that serve key biochemical functions on their own and as substrate precursors for the biosynthesis of polymers such as glycosaminoglycans (e.g., hyaluronic acid) and for the production of proteoglycans. Glucosamine has an excellent safety profile and has been shown to provide benefits in several clinical disorders. Glucosamine compounds have been reported to have several beneficial effects on the skin or skin cells. Because of its stimulation of hyaluronic acid synthesis, glucosamine has been shown to accelerate wound healing, improve skin hydration, and decrease wrinkles. In addition, as an inhibitor of tyrosinase activation, it inhibits melanin production and is useful in treatment of disorders of hyperpigmentation. Mechanistically, glucosamine also has both anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects. Clinical trials have shown benefit in using oral glucosamine supplementation to improve symptoms and slow the progression of osteoarthritis in humans. Glucosamine has also been used to prevent and treat osteoarthritis in animals. Based on other observations, glucosamine has been suggested for additional clinical uses, including treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, migraine headaches, and viral infections. The current clinical uses for topical and oral glucosamine compounds and the mechanistic rationale for these uses are reviewed here.

Prospective of the cosmeceuticals derived from marine organisms

“…Glucosamine stimulates the biosynthesis of hyaluronic acid and these results in accelerating wound healing, improving skin hydration, and decreasing wrinkles. Glucosamine also shows anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects [115,116]. Glucosamine is wide spread in marine organisms, especially found as a major component in the exoskeletons of crustaceans and other arthopods and is produced commercially by the hydrolysis of crustacean exoskeletons.…”

Efficacy of Glucosamine Sulphate in Skin Ageing: Results from an ex vivo Anti-Ageing Model and a Clinical Trial

“…The present ex vivo and in vivo studies aimed at assessing the impact of GS throughout selected markers of the skin ageing process and the skin physiology in healthy female volunteers, and confirm that not only the derivate N-acetylglucosamine, as reported by Bissett [9] , but also the mother compound GS has an impact on the expres- Synthesis of neocollagen. A significant increase in neocollagen was observed (both p ≤ 0.047) in the samples incubated in medium with added GS 150 or 300 μg/mL as compared to without (unexposed sample).…”

“…After 8 weeks of oral GS administration, a significantly increased expression was observed at the mRNA level for vimentin, fibromodulin, biglycan, xylosyl transferase, hyaluronan synthase, collagen types I and III, bone morphogenic protein-1, and Glucosamine (GS) is an aminomonosaccharide that is naturally present in all human tissues. It is produced in the body by the addition of an amino group to glucose which is then acetylated to N-acetylglucosamine [9] . While Nacetylglucosamine is attached to glycoproteins located on the extracellular side of the cell membrane, playing an important role in intercellular recognition [10] , GS is the primary amino sugar substrate for the biosynthesis of hyaluronic acid and of heparan sulphate, and subsequently for the production of proteoglycans [9] .…”

“…While Nacetylglucosamine is attached to glycoproteins located on the extracellular side of the cell membrane, playing an important role in intercellular recognition [10] , GS is the primary amino sugar substrate for the biosynthesis of hyaluronic acid and of heparan sulphate, and subsequently for the production of proteoglycans [9] . All of those are beneficial for skin hydration, wrinkle reduction, and management of skin pigmentation disorders [9,[11][12][13] .…”

Multi-methodological Approach to Evaluate Performances of Mucoadhesive Oral Gel Based on Nanoparticles

“…N-acetyl-glucosamine is a component of hyaluronic acid, naturally occurring polyanionic, polysaccharide [10,11]. Hyaluronic acid is present in the intercellular matrix of most vertebrate connective tissues especially skin where it has a protective, structure stabilizing and shock-absorbing role.…”