Affiliations: Centro Invecchiamento Cellulare, I.D.I. (IRCCS), Rome,
Italy | Institute of Biochemistry, Ancona, Italy
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. Siro Passi, IDI IRCCS, Via Monti
di Creta 104, 00167 Roma, Italy. Tel.: +39 06 91092319; E-mail: invcell@idi.it
Abstract: The concentration of Vitamin E (vit E) and ubiquinone
(CoQ_{10}), which together with squalene (SQ), play a key
role against external oxidative insult, has been shown to decrease
significantly during ageing. The aim of the present study is to inquire the
effect of the combined use of topical bio-cosmetics containing natural active
principles (including sebum-like lipid fractions, sebum and epidermal
lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidants), and oral antioxidant supplements on
the antioxidant content of sebum and stratum corneum. We therefore treated the
face and the back of 50 female volunteers aged 21–40, daily for two
months, with a base cream containing 0.05% ubiquinone, 0.1% vit E, and 1%
squalene. In addition 50 mg of CoQ_{10} + 50 mg of d-RRR-α-tocopheryl
acetate + 50 μg of selenium were administered orally to half of the
volunteers (Group A). Group B was represented by 25 volunteers who were treated
only topically. Every 15 days during treatment the levels of
CoQ_{10}, vit E and SQ were verified in sebum, stratum
corneum, and plasma. The daily topical application of the cream led to a significant
increase, that peaked after 60 days, of the levels of
CoQ_{10}, d-RRR-α-tocopherol and SQ in the sebum
(Group B), without significantly affecting the stratum corneum or plasma
concentrations of the redox couple
CoQ_{10}H_{2}/CoQ_{10}
and vit E. The concomitant oral admistration of antioxidants produced in Group
A a significant increase of the levels of
CoQ_{10}H_{2}/CoQ_{10}
and vit E both in plasma and stratum corneum after 15 and 30 days treatment
respectively, compared to Group B. However the sebum levels of lipophilic
antioxidants and SQ did not show a significant increase. After the treatments,
the levels of
CoQ_{10}H_{2}/CoQ_{10},
vit E and SQ went back to basal levels within 6–8 days in sebum,
12–16 days in the stratum corneum, and 3–6 days in plasma. Therefore topical application of the antioxidants was able to
increase their level in sebum, while the concomitant oral administration also
affected the levels of vit E and CoQ_{10} in the stratum
corneum.
Journal: BioFactors, vol. 18, no. 1-4, pp. 289-297, 2003
