36 ANTI-AGEING
Energizing the skin with phytoglycogen
Julia Baumann, Franziska Wandrey, Fred Zülli – Mibelle Biochemistry
Living organisms require energy to perform the tasks of everyday life. At the cellular level, the energy is used for overall cell maintenance, protection, and the production of molecules that are essential for cell and organ function. Skin cells, which are continuously exposed
to environmental factors such as sunlight or pollution, greatly rely on large amounts of energy to combat cellular – and consequently skin – damage. As we age, cellular energy levels decline and the deficiencies in skin energy can manifest in age-related changes in the skin.1 One consequence of this includes the
formation of wrinkles or skin hyperpigmentation due to photodamage. Therefore, increasing cell energy levels can be a valid approach to target skin ageing. To maintain a healthy and youthful skin, the skin produces various essential molecules including hyaluronic acid (HA) and collagen (Figure 1). The production of these molecules requires energy, levels of which are unfortunately reduced during the ageing process. Indeed, decreased levels of HA and collagen are also observed in the ageing skin.2
Evidently,
increasing the available energy necessary to boost the production of these molecules can benefit the skin. A preferred energy substrate for cell metabolism is glucose, which is broken down via a series of biochemical reactions to release energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Glucose can be packed and stored for later use. This ensures sufficient energy sources are
available, even in times of stress. Efficient and dense packaging is required to store as much
glucose as possible while using minimal space. One of the densest storage units of glucose in the cell is glycogen.
Glycogen: Densely packed energy for skin rejuvenation Glycogen is an energy-storage unit found in mammalian cells. It is a highly branched structure of repeating glucose units that are linked together by specific bonds, termed α(1-4) and α(1-6) glycosidic bonds. The structure of glycogen itself is very dense, making this molecule an ideal storage unit of energy inside the cell (Figure 2).
ABSTRACT
Skin cells are continuously exposed to environmental stresses, which makes them greatly reliant on large amounts of energy to combat cellular – and consequently skin – damage. As we age, cellular energy levels decline and the deficiencies in skin energy can result in premature skin ageing. By providing glycogen, the cells are given energy to use whenever it is needed and wherever it is needed, resulting in many beneficial effects for the skin. However, glycogen is usually isolated from animal sources. In this article a new plant-based glycogen is described, isolated from a special non-GMO sweetcorn, which is chemically identical to glycogen stored in animal cells. In vitro, the phytoglycogen was able to stimulate ATP production and cell metabolism, resulting in increased hyaluronic acid and collagen production. Clinically the topical application of the phytoglycogen provided fast and long- lasting hydration effects, led to anti- ageing benefits and boosted the effects of hyaluronic acid. In summary, the safe and natural phytoglycogen is a multi-purpose cosmetic active, yielding excellent benefits for the skin.
Figure 1: Skin cells, energy and metabolism PERSONAL CARE January 2024
www.personalcaremagazine.com
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