Department of Pharmacology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Higashi-Ku, Hamamatsu, 431-3192, Japan.
Phytother Res. 2013 May;27(5):775-83. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4792. Epub 2012 Sep 4.
The epidermis acts as a functional barrier against the external environment. Disturbances in the function of this barrier cause water loss and increase the chances of penetration by various irritable stimuli, leading to skin diseases such as dry skin, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis. Ceramides are a critical natural element of the protective epidermal barrier. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the oral intake of beet (Beta vulgaris) extract, a natural product rich in glucosylceramide (GlcCer), may prevent disturbance in skin barrier function. When HR-1 hairless mice were fed a special diet (HR-AD), transepidermal water loss (TEWL) from the dorsal skin increased, with a compensatory increase in water intake after 5 weeks. Mice fed with HR-AD had dry skin with erythema and showed increased scratching behaviour. Histological examinations revealed a remarkable increase in the thickness of the skin at 8 weeks. Supplemental addition of beet extract, which contained GlcCer at a final concentration of 0.1%, significantly prevented an increase TEWL, water intake, cumulative scratching time, and epidermal thickness at 8 weeks. These results indicate that oral intake of beet extract shows potential for preventing skin diseases associated with impaired skin barrier function.
表皮作为对外界环境的功能性屏障。该屏障功能的障碍会导致水分流失，并增加各种刺激性刺激物穿透的机会，从而导致皮肤疾病，如干燥皮肤、特应性皮炎和银屑病。神经酰胺是保护表皮屏障的重要天然成分。本研究旨在评估口服甜菜（Beta vulgaris）提取物（一种富含葡萄糖神经酰胺（GlcCer）的天然产物）是否可以预防皮肤屏障功能障碍。当 HR-1 无毛小鼠喂食特殊饮食（HR-AD）时，背部皮肤的经表皮水分流失（TEWL）增加，5 周后水摄入量增加以代偿。用 HR-AD 喂养的小鼠皮肤干燥，有红斑，并表现出搔抓行为增加。组织学检查显示 8 周时皮肤厚度明显增加。补充甜菜提取物（其 GlcCer 终浓度为 0.1%）可显著预防 TEWL、水摄入量、累计搔抓时间和 8 周时的表皮厚度增加。这些结果表明，口服甜菜提取物具有预防与皮肤屏障功能障碍相关的皮肤疾病的潜力。
