International Institute of Biophysics, MeLuNa Human Research, Amersfoort, The Netherlands.
J Photochem Photobiol B. 2010 Mar 8;98(3):199-206. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2010.01.003. Epub 2010 Jan 13.
Exposure of skin to ultraviolet (UV) radiation triggers oxidative stress in skin tissue that can lead to erythema, early skin aging or even cancer. It is suggested that oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs), phytonutrients that belong to the polyphenol family have an anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory activity on the skin. Measuring ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) is a non-invasive, fairly-sensitive and convenient technique for continuously monitoring oxidative stress. The present study was undertaken to confirm anti-oxidant activity of the specific OPCs cream formulation in human skin by measuring UPE of skin. In the present study 25 healthy female subjects participated. As a baseline measurement of skin, UPE was recorded from the dorsal surface of the subjects' hands before (spontaneous UPE) and after exposure to UV (UV-induced UPE). The effects of the OPCs cream on spontaneous and UV-induced UPE were measured using a fractionated UV exposure protocol. UV exposure resulted in an increase in UPE from both hands. Repeat UV exposure also resulted in a long-term increase of spontaneous UPE. This is likely due to depletion of anti-oxidant capacity of skin resulting in sensitization of skin to UV. It was assessed by measuring spontaneous UPE at 80 min after each UV exposure. Application of the OPCs cream immediately after UV exposure resulted in a significant (approx. 30%) decrease in UV-induced UPE. Topical OPCs cream application also reduced sensitization of skin to UV following repeated UV exposure (i.e., reduced long-term increase in spontaneous UPE). This study indicates that the specific OPCs cream formulation significantly decreases UV-induced oxidative stress in human skin based on UPE measurement. It therefore suggests that regular use of this OPCs cream might protect skin from harmful effects of UV.
皮肤暴露于紫外线（UV）辐射会引发皮肤组织中的氧化应激，导致红斑、早期皮肤衰老甚至癌症。研究表明，低聚原花青素（OPC）作为植物营养素，属于多酚类家族，对皮肤具有抗氧化/抗炎活性。测量超弱光发射（UPE）是一种非侵入性、相当敏感和方便的技术，可用于连续监测氧化应激。本研究旨在通过测量皮肤的 UPE 来证实特定 OPC 霜配方在人体皮肤中的抗氧化活性。本研究共有 25 名健康女性参与。作为皮肤的基线测量，在（自发 UPE）和暴露于 UV 之前（UV 诱导的 UPE），从研究对象手部的背部表面记录 UPE。使用分段 UV 暴露方案测量 OPC 霜对自发和 UV 诱导的 UPE 的影响。UV 暴露会导致双手的 UPE 增加。重复 UV 暴露也会导致自发 UPE 的长期增加。这可能是由于皮肤抗氧化能力的消耗导致皮肤对 UV 的敏感性增加。通过测量每次 UV 暴露后 80 分钟的自发 UPE 来评估。在 UV 暴露后立即使用 OPC 霜可使 UV 诱导的 UPE 显著（约 30%）降低。局部应用 OPC 霜还可减少重复 UV 暴露后皮肤对 UV 的敏感性（即减少自发 UPE 的长期增加）。本研究表明，基于 UPE 测量，特定的 OPC 霜配方可显著降低人体皮肤的 UV 诱导氧化应激。因此，建议定期使用这种 OPC 霜可能有助于保护皮肤免受 UV 的有害影响。
