Original Paper

Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2014;27:47–55 Received: November 2, 2012

Accepted after revision: March 24, 2013
DOI: 10.1159/000351376
Published online: August 14, 2013

Oral Supplementation of Specific Collagen

Peptides Has Beneficial Effects on Human Skin
Physiology: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled
Study
E. Proksch a D. Segger c J. Degwert c M. Schunck b V. Zague d S. Oesser b
a
Department of Dermatology, University of Kiel, and b CRI, Collagen Research Institute, Kiel, and c Skin Investigation and
Technology, Hamburg, Germany; d Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences,
University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Key Words ment, a statistically significantly higher skin elasticity level

Collagen peptides · Collagen hydrolysate · Skin · Elasticity · was determined in elderly women. With regard to skin mois-
Hydration · Roughness ture and skin evaporation, a positive influence of CH treat-
ment could be observed in a subgroup analysis, but data
failed to reach a level of statistical significance. No side ef-
Abstract fects were noted throughout the study.
Various dietary supplements are claimed to have cutaneous © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel
anti-aging properties; however, there are a limited number
of research studies supporting these claims. The objective of
this research was to study the effectiveness of collagen hy- Introduction
drolysate (CH) composed of specific collagen peptides on
skin biophysical parameters related to cutaneous aging. In The epidermis, the fibrous collagen and elastin net-
this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 69 women aged work of the dermis, and the subcutaneous fat tissue give
35–55 years were randomized to receive 2.5 g or 5.0 g of CH rise to the biomechanical and physiological properties of
or placebo once daily for 8 weeks, with 23 subjects being al- the skin [1]. Several factors influence the appearance,
located to each treatment group. Skin elasticity, skin mois- structure and integrity of the skin, including aging, hor-
ture, transepidermal water loss and skin roughness were ob- mones, UV radiation and nutrition. During aging, quali-
jectively measured before the first oral product application tative and quantitative changes occur in the skin. Loss of
(t0) and after 4 (t1) and 8 weeks (t2) of regular intake. Skin elasticity, reduction in the epidermal thickness and col-
elasticity (primary interest) was also assessed at follow-up lagen content and increased wrinkling are the features of
4 weeks after the last intake of CH (t3, 4-week regression aging skin [2].
phase). At the end of the study, skin elasticity in both CH dos- An important trend in skin care is the use of diet and
age groups showed a statistically significant improvement in oral supplements to improve the skin’s appearance and
comparison to placebo. After 4 weeks of follow-up treat- structure. Healthy skin largely reflects the general health
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Lulea Tekniska Universitet

© 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel Prof. Dr. Dr. E. Proksch

1660–5527/14/0271–0047$39.50/0 Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Department of Dermatology
Schittenhelmstrasse 7
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E-Mail [email protected]
DE–24105 Kiel (Germany)
www.karger.com/spp
E-Mail EProksch @ dermatology.uni-kiel.de
status and as such the skin is influenced by the consump- Table 1. Demographic data of the volunteers per treatment group
tion of dietary substances, including vitamins and anti-
oxidants, fatty acids and hydrolyzed proteins [3]. There- Subjects, n 2.5 g CH 23
5 g CH 23
fore, the effects of nutritional factors on the skin have 2.5 g placebo 23
received increasing attention, and a number of clinical
studies indicated that dietary supplementation can mod- Age (mean) 2.5 g CH 48.7
5 g CH 47.2
ulate skin functions [4]. 2.5 g placebo 47.9
Collagen hydrolysate (CH) has long been used in phar-
Age (SD) 2.5 g CH 4.8
maceuticals and food supplements for improving skin
5 g CH 5.7
and cartilage tissues. It is absorbed in the digestive tract, 2.5 g placebo 5.2
appears in the human blood partly in a small peptide form
Age (min.) 2.5 g CH 35.3
[5, 6] and is accumulated in skin for up to 96 h as shown
5 g CH 36.1
by Oesser et al. [7]. On the basis of in vitro studies, col- 2.5 g placebo 36.2
lagen peptides (CPs) have shown the ability of exerting
Age (max.) 2.5 g CH 55.4
potent antioxidative activities in different oxidative sys- 5 g CH 54.9
tems [8–11]. 2.5 g placebo 54.3
Moreover, CH has been reported to have beneficial bi-
ological functions in skin. Studies have shown that food- Age is expressed in years.
derived CPs in human blood are chemotactic for skin fi-
broblasts [12] and increase the migration and growth of
mouse skin fibroblasts [13]. Matsuda et al. [14] investi-
gated effects of CH ingestion on fibroblast and collagen
Materials and Methods
densities of pig skin and showed that density and diam-
eter of fibroblasts and density of collagen fibrils were sig- Test Product
nificantly larger in the CH group than in the control The test product used in this study was a CH composed of dif-
groups. Tanaka et al. [15] demonstrated that CH inges- ferent specific CPs derived from a special hydrolysis of porcine type
tion inhibited UVB-induced decrease of type I collagen, I collagen. The product was provided by GELITA AG (Eberbach,
Germany), commercially available under the name VERISOL®.
thus improving skin conditions in mice. The product is clearly defined by MALDI-MS mass peak finger-
Recently, Zague et al. [16] investigated the effect of print with specific CPs of an average molecular weight of 2.0 kDa.
daily ingestion of CH on skin extracellular matrix pro-
teins in rats. The relative amount of type I and IV colla- Study Design
gens was significantly increased after CH intake com- The study was carried out as a monocentric, double-blinded,
randomized, placebo-controlled supplementation study on the ef-
pared with the reference diet group (casein). Moreover, fects of a specific CH on skin elasticity (primary interest) and skin
CH uptake significantly decreased both pro-enzyme and hydration, as well as on TEWL and skin roughness (secondary in-
active forms of matrix metalloproteinase-2 compared terests) after 8 weeks of daily intake.
with casein and control groups. This implied that the ef- The study was approved by the Freiburger Ethik-Kommission
fect of CH was protein-specific and did not depend International, Freiburg, Germany, and adhered to current Good
Clinical Practice regulations. All test subjects received detailed in-
merely on an increase of amino acid intake. The authors formation listing every relevant single parameter to the study. All
suggested that CH may reduce aging-related changes of subjects gave signed informed consent after written information
the extracellular matrix by stimulating anabolic process- and a possibility for further questioning.
es in skin tissue.
Although there is convincing evidence, from the pre- Subjects
A total of 69 healthy female subjects were enrolled in the study;
clinical perspective, that CH ingestion may improve skin 23 subjects were randomized to each of 3 treatment groups to re-
conditions and even protect skin from UV damage, little ceive a daily dose of either 2.5 or 5.0 g of CH or 2.5 g of the placebo
is known about the clinical effects of CH on skin param- (maltodextrin). There were no differences between the treatment
eters and health. The aim of our study was to evaluate the and the placebo groups (table 1) with regard to age (p = 0.664).
potential benefits of an oral supplement containing spe- The products were taken orally by the subjects at home accord-
ing to the instructions given by the investigator. The powder was
cific CP on skin parameters related to cutaneous physiol- to be dissolved in water or any other cold liquid.
ogy and aging, including skin elasticity, hydration, rough- Prior to the beginning of oral treatment and data acquisition a
ness and transepidermal water loss (TEWL). preconditioning period of at least 7 days was conducted. Within
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DOI: 10.1159/000351376 Zague /Oesser

   
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this period the volunteers had to refrain from using any leave-on Measurement Times
products on the test areas. The study participants were not allowed There were 4 measurement times: immediately before starting
to change their usual skin care routine. Moreover, treatment with the product treatment (t0), after 4 (t1) and 8 weeks (t2) of daily
dermatological therapeutics on the test areas was not allowed with- product intake, and 4 weeks after the last intake (t3, 4-week regres-
in 6 weeks prior to the start of the study. In addition to that, chang- sion phase, only for the skin elasticity parameter).
es in living or dietary habits, consumption of any additional nutri- The subject’s compliance (dosage and way of intake) and toler-
tional supplement or vitamin preparations, treatment of the volar ance towards the products were checked after 1, 4 and 6 weeks of
forearms with cosmetic and dermatological skin care products and intake.
intensive exposure to sun or UV light were prohibited during the
study. Measurement of Skin Elasticity
Skin elasticity was performed with the Cutometer® MPA 580
Inclusion Criteria (Courage & Khazaka, Cologne, Germany) as described by Segger
The inclusion criteria were as follows: healthy females ranging et al. [17] and Segger and Schonlau [18]. Briefly, the extension of
in age from 35 to 55 years (homogeneous distribution between the skin was tested in response to a suction vacuum induced above
treatment groups); dry skin on forearms according to self-assess- the skin test area with a 350-mbar vacuum (5-second exposure and
ment; phototype I–IV (Fitzpatrick scale); general good health and non-exposure period) and 1 cycle per measurement was detected.
mental condition; personal informed consent to participate in the To analyse skin elasticity, the R5 value (Ur/Ue, immediate recov-
study; personal presence on the predefined days at the institute, ery/elastic deformation) was recorded. This parameter has proven
and willingness and capability to follow the study rules and a fixed to be most suitable in detecting age-related skin alterations [19,
schedule. 20]. The measurement of each test area was repeated 3 times.

Exclusion Criteria Measurement of Skin Hydration

The exclusion criteria was as follows: any deviation from the Assessment of skin surface hydration by electrical capacitance
above-mentioned inclusion criteria; acute skin diseases (e.g. atop- was carried out using the Corneometer® CM 825 (Courage &
ic eczema, neurodermatitis or psoriasis) on the test areas or other Khazaka), which measures the reactive capacitance of the skin, us-
dermatological disorders (e.g. scars, sunburn or moles); food aller- ing the stratum corneum as a dielectric membrane. Measurements
gies against ingredients of the test products; gastrointestinal dis- are arbitrarily expressed as indices of hydration, which increase
eases or indigestions; tattoos on the test areas; topical medication with increasing skin hydration; 10 individual measurements per
on the test area within 6 weeks prior to study start; systemic med- application site and control were performed.
ication with anti-inflammatory agents or antibiotics within 2
weeks prior to study start; systemic medication with corticoids Measurement of TEWL
and/or antihistamines within 4 weeks prior to study start; other Using the DermaLab® (Cortex Instruments, Regensburg, Ger-
systemic medication within 4 weeks prior to study start; systemic many) device, the TEWL expressed in g/m2/h was evaluated on
illness of the subject at the beginning of the study; pregnancy or each site by continuous data logging over a 45-second period.
period of breast feeding; immunological disorders; severe disor- From the continuous TEWL plots, the mean value and the corre-
ders within 6 months prior to study start (e.g. cancer, acute car- sponding standard deviations of the last 8 determined TEWL data
diac and circularity disorders, severe diabetes, or alcohol or drug during this measurement sequence were computed. The measure-
abuse); participation in other studies with cosmetic products on ment of each test area was repeated 3 times.
the test areas within 2 weeks prior to study start or during the
study; participating in a study with a pharmaceutical preparation Measurement of Skin Roughness
within 4 weeks prior to study start; intake of nutritional supple- The skin roughness was assessed by silicone imprints using the
ments within 4 weeks prior to study start and, except for the test PRIMOS Compact (GFMesstechnik, Teltow, Germany) device for
products, during the study; change in lifestyle or eating habits dur- analysis with a measuring field size of 40 × 30 mm and a lateral to
ing the study; treatment with leave-on products or oily or moistur- spatial resolution of 62 to 6 μm. Immediately after mixing the
izing skin-cleansing products on arms; change in usual skin care hardening agent with the silicone rubber, the material was applied
routine; intensive sun or artificial UV exposure (solarium) on the onto the defined test areas and left for 5 min to harden. Then, the
test areas within 1 week prior to study start or during the study; imprints were carefully removed from the skin and allowed to
swimming, sauna or intensive sport within 1 day prior to measure- harden completely for 24 h. Each replica was analysed with the
ments; lack of compliance, and intellectual or mental inability to optical measuring instrument, PRIMOS Compact. The measure-
follow the study instructions. ment parameters were ‘replica fine’ and ‘slow measurement’.
Three separate sites of each replica were analysed. The relief pic-
Assessments ture was computed according to the standard procedure using the
Test Areas polynom level 5. Skin roughness was evaluated by analysing the
The test areas were the inner aspects of both forearms (1 test roughness parameter area (SQ value). The total area for the SQ
area per volar forearm). The test areas on the forearms reached an evaluation was about 18.4 × 13.8 mm, with the single areas for the
area of 5 × 5 cm. Skin hydration, skin elasticity and TEWL were SQ evaluations being about 3.7 × 2.8 mm.
measured on the left forearm while skin roughness was assessed on
the right forearm. On every measurement day, the subjects had to Statistical Analysis
expose their uncovered test areas to the indoor climate conditions The study objectives were analysed by Skin Investigation and
(21.5 ± 1 ° C and 50 ± 5% relative humidity) for at least 30 min.
    Technology Hamburg GmbH, Hamburg, Germany, using the
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Beneficial Effects of Specific Collagen Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2014;27:47–55 49

Peptides on Human Skin Physiology DOI: 10.1159/000351376
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computer software Microsoft Excel and STATISTICA. Microsoft
Excel was used for the calculation of the relative data, minimum 1.15
and maximum values, means and standard deviations. STATIS- Baseline 4 weeks 8 weeks
TICA was used to analyse the data distribution (Kolmogorov-
1.10

x-fold of placebo
Smirnov test) and to analyse the significance of differences (one-
way ANOVA with the post hoc Fisher LSD test or Kruskal-Wallis
ANOVA with post hoc multiple comparison of mean ranks for all 1.05
groups). The hypothesis of a normal distribution was accepted
when there was a p value >0.025 (primary interests). Concerning 1.00
the differences between the treatment situations, a p value of 0.05
was considered as a statistically significant difference. 0.95
To test for significance of differences between the treatment VERISOL 2.5 g/day VERISOL 5 g/day
groups, either the one-way ANOVA (the post hoc Fisher LSD) for
normally distributed data or the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA (post
hoc multiple comparison of mean ranks for all groups) for not nor- Fig. 1. Skin elasticity changes during the time of treatment. Prior to
mally distributed data was to be used. The following treatment the beginning of the treatment, no statistically significant difference
situations were compared: treatment situations at points in time t0 in skin elasticity was detected in comparison to the placebo group.
(original data), t1, t2 and t3 (data relative to t0). The data relative Both CH-treated groups showed a statistically higher elasticity after
to t0 were computed as follows: treatment situation at tx = 1, 2, 3/ 4 and 8 weeks of CH ingestion (mean ± SEM, n ≥ 22, p < 0.05).
treatment situation at t0.
In addition, a subgroup analysis was done between the 3
treatment groups. All volunteers within the groups were subdi-
vided as being younger or older than 50 years (table 2). To test Table 2. Age-related subcategories per treatment group
for significance of differences between treatment groups the
one-way ANOVA (the post hoc Fisher LSD) for normally dis- Treatment group <50 years, n ≥50 years, n
tributed data was used. The following treatment situations were
compared: t2 and t3 (data relative to t0). The data relative to t0 2.5 g CH 14 9
were computed as follows: treatment situation at tx = 2, 3/treat- 5 g CH 15 8
ment situation at t0. 2.5 g placebo 13 9

Results At 4 weeks after the last product intake (4-week regres-

sion phase), the treatment subgroup of elderly women
There were 7 dropouts, none of which were related to still showed statistically significantly higher skin elasticity
the product intake or the study procedure in general. The levels than the placebo group (p < 0.05, fig. 3), with about
t0 data of only 1 subject from the placebo group was ex- 98% of the positive effect for skin elasticity after having
cluded from data analysis because there were no post- stopped CH intake (data not shown).
baseline data available. There were no discomfort or ad-
verse reactions reported. Skin Hydration
The starting level of skin hydration was about 27.9–
Skin Elasticity 30.0 AU (±4.3–6.1) with no statistical difference between
There was no significant difference in skin elasticity treatment groups and placebo control at the baseline (p =
levels between the treatment and placebo groups prior to 0.31). Considering the data relative to placebo of the en-
the product treatment (p = 0.46). The starting level (R5 tire studied group overall, there was no statistically sig-
value = Ur/Ue) was about 0.85–0.89 (±0.11–0.13). Con- nificant difference in skin hydration levels between the
cerning the data relative to placebo, both dosages of CH treatment and placebo groups after 4 (p = 0.90) and 8
showed statistically significant improved skin elasticity weeks (p = 0.96) of daily intake (fig. 4). However, sub-
levels after 4 and 8 weeks of intake (mean 7%; p < 0.05 in group analysis revealed an increased skin hydration by
all cases), as shown in figure 1. There were no statistically 11–14% in women over 50 years old, but data failed sta-
significant differences between the two dosages of CH. In tistical significance (fig. 5).
a more detailed subgroup analysis it could be demonstrat-
ed that the positive impact of CH treatment on skin elas- Transepidermal Water Loss
ticity seemed to be more pronounced in elderly women At the beginning of the observation period no statisti-
aged over 50 years (fig. 2). cally significant difference in the TEWL levels between
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 1.3

1.2

x-fold of placebo
1.1

1.0

0.9

Fig. 2. Skin elasticity changes in age-related 4 weeks 8 weeks 4 weeks 8 weeks 4 weeks 8 weeks 4 weeks 8 weeks
subgroups. Skin elasticity was statistically
2.5 g/day VERISOL 5 g/day VERISOL 2.5 g/day VERISOL 5 g/day VERISOL
significantly increased in elderly women
women <50 years ZRPHQ–\HDUV
(50+) after both CH dosages in comparison
to the placebo control treatment (n ≥ 9).

1.3 1.20
Baseline 4 weeks 8 weeks
1.2 1.00
x-fold of placebo

x-fold of placebo

1.1 0.80

1.0 0.60

0.9 0.40

0.8 0.20
CH CH CH CH
2.5 g/day 5 g/day 2.5 g/day 5 g/day 0
Subclass age <50 6XEFODVVDJH– VERISOL 2.5 g/day VERISOL 5 g/day

Fig. 3. Long-lasting effect on skin elasticity changes in age-related Fig. 4. Skin hydration changes during the time of treatment. With-
subcategories. At 4 weeks after the last CH intake, skin elasticity in in the entirety of both CH-treated groups, no skin hydration
elderly women (50+) was statistically significantly increased in effects were observed during the time of treatment (mean ± SEM,
both CH dosages in comparison to the placebo control treatment n ≥ 22).
(mean ± SEM, n ≥ 9, p < 0.05).

treatment and placebo groups could be observed (p = Skin Roughness

0.99). The starting level was about 8.0 g/m2/h (±1.2–1.3). There was no statistically significant difference in skin
Concerning the data relative to placebo, there was no sta- roughness between treatment and placebo groups at the
tistically significant difference in skin evaporation be- baseline (p = 0.59). The starting level was about 18.3–19.9
tween treatment and placebo groups after 4 (p = 0.88) and μm (±4.2–6.9). As demonstrated in figure 8, changes of
8 weeks (p = 0.90) of daily intake (fig. 6). In women over skin smoothness relative to placebo failed to reach a level
50 years of age skin evaporation was reduced by 6–7%. of statistical significance between the treatment and pla-
There was no statistically significant difference in the cebo groups after 4 (p = 0.61) and 8 weeks (p = 0.63) of
moisturizing effect in this subgroup (fig. 7). daily intake.
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Peptides on Human Skin Physiology DOI: 10.1159/000351376
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 1.4

1.2

x-fold of placebo
1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

Fig. 5. Skin hydration changes in age-relat- 4 weeks 8 weeks 4 weeks 8 weeks 4 weeks 8 weeks 4 weeks 8 weeks
ed subgroups. Skin hydration was in-
2.5 g/day VERISOL 5 g/day VERISOL 2.5 g/day VERISOL 5 g/day VERISOL
creased in elderly women (50+) 8 weeks af-
women <50 years ZRPHQ–\HDUV
ter both CH dosages in comparison to the
placebo control treatment (n ≥ 9).

the skin surface (telangiectasia) [28]. It can be assumed

1.20 that the most prominent physiological alterations in
Baseline 4 weeks 8 weeks
1.00
chronological and photoaging are localized in the dermis
and caused by the metabolism of dermal collagen fibres.
x-fold of placebo

0.80
During the last decade the influence of ingested CH on
0.60 skin physiology has been investigated by several groups.
0.40 In experimental studies the authors examined fibroblast
0.20 growth, dermal extracellular matrix synthesis, antioxida-
tive protection and reduction of skin wrinkle formation
0
VERISOL 2.5 g/day VERISOL 5 g/day [11, 13, 15, 22, 23, 29–34]. These investigations suggested
that CPs may improve skin appearance and function in
skin tissue.
Fig. 6. Skin evaporation changes during the time of treatment. So far, only a few controlled clinical studies have been
Within the entirety of both CH-treated groups, no skin evapora- performed to investigate the effect of orally administered
tion effects were observed during the time of treatment (mean
± SEM, n ≥ 22).
CH on various skin parameters [4, 35].
To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the
first clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of a specific
low dosage (2.5 g/day) of CH on skin physiology. The re-
Discussion sults clearly revealed that both dosages (2.5 and 5.0 g) of
the specific CH had a beneficial effect on skin physiology,
Human skin physiology changes during the course of as indicated by increased skin elasticity after 4 weeks of
life. While chronological or intrinsic aging is character- daily consumption. The observed effect was statistically
ized by a reduction of skin thickness, loss of skin elastic- significant (p < 0.05) after 4 and 8 weeks in the treatment
ity, collagen fibre degeneration, xerosis and wrinkle for- groups compared to placebo. In some women a maximum
mation [21–27], extrinsic or photoaging caused by sun- increase of skin elasticity up to 30% could be observed af-
light exposition leads to deep-wrinkled, dyspigmented ter an 8-week treatment. Interestingly, only a relatively
skin and the formation of small dilated blood vessels near small number of 23 women per group were needed to
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 1.5

1.4

1.3

x-fold of placebo
1.2

1.1

1.0

0.9

0.8

0.7

Fig. 7. Skin evaporation changes in age-re- 4 weeks 8 weeks 4 weeks 8 weeks 4 weeks 8 weeks 4 weeks 8 weeks
lated subgroups. TEWL was reduced in el- 2.5 g/day VERISOL 5 g/day VERISOL 2.5 g/day VERISOL 5 g/day VERISOL
derly women 4 and 8 weeks after CH treat-
women <50 years ZRPHQ–\HDUV
ment in comparison to placebo adminis-
tration (n ≥ 9).

The fact that this positive effect was still detectable at the
1.20 end of the 4-week washout phase suggests a long-lasting
Baseline 4 weeks 8 weeks
1.00
dermal physiological effect. These findings are in contrast
to topical products which should be mostly effective in
x-fold of placebo

0.80
the skin ageing-encountered superficial dermis and epi-
0.60 dermis [36], where improved skin elasticity is predomi-
0.40 nantly caused by an increase in epidermal hydration [37,
0.20 38]. Xhauflaire-Uhoda et al. [39] investigated anti-wrin-
0
kle effects of topically used skin care products. They
VERISOL 2.5 g/day VERISOL 5 g/day found no evidence of skin moisturizing after stopping
treatment and, moreover, the low increase in skin hydra-
tion corresponded to normal newly generated corneo-
Fig. 8. Skin roughness changes during time of treatment. Within cytes from deeper skin layers. They found out that the
the entirety of both CH-treated groups no skin roughness effects tested cream and lotion did not penetrate deeply into the
were observed during the time of treatment (mean ± SEM, n ≥ 22).
skin barrier, and an anti-wrinkle effect after topical treat-
ment could have been the result of the generating of a skin
surface film which hindered water evaporation. More-
clearly demonstrate the efficacy of the verum. The group over, beyond the effectivity of topical treatments, Burac-
size was predefined by a power calculation (test power zewska et al. [40] (2007) could show that a topical long-
80%) based on previously published investigations. term treatment with hydrocarbon cream did not elevate
In a subgroup analysis it could be demonstrated that skin hydration but led to an impaired skin barrier and an
the statistically significant increase in skin elasticity after increased TEWL.
CH ingestion was even more pronounced in women aged Skin elasticity is a very important marker for skin aging.
over 50 years compared to younger women (p < 0.05). In a clinical study on postmenopausal women, Sumino et
The validity of these results could be confirmed by a pow- al. [26] investigated the decline of skin elasticity per year
er calculation. Due to the small variances within the mea- in comparison to premenopausal subjects. From the find-
sured data a test power of more than 90% was determined. ing that skin elasticity was negatively correlated with age
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Beneficial Effects of Specific Collagen Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2014;27:47–55 53

Peptides on Human Skin Physiology DOI: 10.1159/000351376
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and years after the climacteric period, they calculated a Over the treatment period of 8 weeks no visible chang-
0.55% declining skin elasticity per year after menopause. es of the skin roughness by CH ingestion in comparison
It is well known that besides skin hydration, elasticity is to placebo were detectable. It might be speculated that the
especially influenced by dermal collagen [41, 42]. This re- duration of treatment and localization of measurement at
lation was observed by Marini et al. [43], who described a the sunlight-protected inner side of the forearm might be
correlation between skin elasticity and hydration and col- responsible for these observations. On the other hand,
lagen type I RNA expression after oral treatment. Sato et al. [47] observed a significant correlation between
Experimental studies on primary human dermal fibro- skin roughness and the thickness of the stratum corneum.
blasts demonstrated a stimulatory effect of the specific CH As it is known that skin thickness decreases with age, this
used in this study on the expression of skin extracellular aspect could possibly explain the lack of a pronounced ef-
matrix macromolecules. After supplementation of the fect of CH on skin roughness, as detected in the present
CPs to fibroblast cultures a pronounced increase of type I study [1].
collagen expression as well as in the expression of proteo- In conclusion, the results of the study clearly demon-
glycans like biglycan, decorin and versican could be ob- strated that the oral intake of a specific CH led to a statis-
served (data not shown). Although further investigations tically significant increase in skin elasticity. Moreover, a
are needed, it could be speculated that the observed posi- skin moisturizing effect could be observed in elderly
tive effect of CH on skin elasticity might be caused by an women, although results did not reach a level of statistical
increase of dermal matrix macromolecule biosynthesis. significance. In contrast to most topically applied sub-
With regard to the investigated skin moisturizing pa- stances this positive effect of orally applied CH on skin
rameters, overall results revealed that skin evaporation health seems to be long-lasting, especially in women over
and skin hydration were unchanged in both CH treat- 50 years of age. Overall CH intake over a longer period
ment groups. However, a tendency of reduced skin evap- seems to have a positive impact on skin health. It has to
oration and an increased skin moisturizing effect were be stated that the demonstrated efficacy refers to the spe-
observed in elderly women as indicated in the subgroup cific CP composition (VERISOL쏐) used in this study and
analysis. Besides loss of skin elasticity, xerosis is described could not be extrapolated to CH in general.
as a common skin problem of the elderly [44–46]. Thus, More research is needed, especially regarding the
data suggest that, especially in this group, CH treatment mode of action and to confirm the clinical efficacy. In a
might have a positive impact on skin hydration. follow-up clinical study it could be interesting to investi-
Interestingly, although skin moisture content and gate the effect of a CP supplementation on dermal matrix
TEWL should correlate with skin microtexture and skin macromolecule synthesis and the clinical efficacy, for ex-
roughness, no changes of this parameter could be mea- ample on wrinkle formation.
sured in the present study.

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Peptides on Human Skin Physiology DOI: 10.1159/000351376
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