Effects of the Mixture of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Pycnogenol and Evening Primrose Oil on the UV-Induced Pigmentation and Wrinkle Reductions in Human Skin

Min-Youl Chang; Sang-Ki Park; Taek-Jong Kwak; Hyoung-Kook Park; Cheon-Koo Lee; Heon-Sik Lee; Sun Yung Ly; Seong-Jin Kim

doi:10.4163/kjn.2009.42.6.516

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Chang, Park, Kwak, Park, Lee, Lee, Ly, and Kim: Effects of the Mixture of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Pycnogenol and Evening Primrose Oil on the UV-Induced Pigmentation and Wrinkle Reductions in Human Skin

Original Article

Korean Journal of Nutrition

Korean Journal of Nutrition 2009; 42(6): 516-522.

Published online: 30 September 2009

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4163/kjn.2009.42.6.516

Effects of the Mixture of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Pycnogenol and Evening Primrose Oil on the UV-Induced Pigmentation and Wrinkle Reductions in Human Skin

Min-Youl Chang¹, Sang-Ki Park¹, Taek-Jong Kwak¹, Hyoung-Kook Park¹, Cheon-Koo Lee¹, Heon-Sik Lee^1,², Sun Yung Ly², Seong-Jin Kim³

¹LG Household & Healthcare Research Park, Daejeon 305-343, Korea.

²Department of Food and Nutrition, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Korea.

³Department of Dermatology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 501-746, Korea.

To whom correspondence should be addressed. (seongkim@chonnam.ac.kr)

Received 8 June 2009 Revised 18 July 2009 Accepted 7 August 2009

Abstract

In this study, the effects of a mixture consisting of vitamin E, vitamin C, pycnogenol and evening primrose oil (mixture LGNC-5) on ultraviolet light (UV) induced pigmentation and wrinkle reductions of normal healthy volunteers were studied. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study, each of 54 subjects took daily either 4 capsules of the mixture LGNC-5 (Group ABC; 282.5 mg/capsule) or placebo (Group Ganada). We irradiated 2.5 MED UV on the upper arms and measured the whitening effect by colorimeter-based L value. The level of wrinkle reduction was determined by image analysis using skin replica around the crow' feet, and the level of serum vitamin E was determined at baseline and 12 weeks. After 12-week oral administration, the treated group showed a significant reduction in skin pigmentation and wrinkles compared with the placebo group (p = 0.011 and p = 0.000005 , respectively). Also, the level of serum vitamin E was significantly increased in the treated group after 12-week oral adminstration of the mixture compared with that in the placebo group (p = 0.0001). In conclusion, 12-week oral administration of LGNC-5 as a dietary supplement could be effective to reduce both UV induced pigmentation and skin wrinkle without side effects.

Keywords: pycnogenol, ultraviolet light induced pigmentation, wrinkle reduction

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

ΔL values before and during 12 week administration of LGNC-5 (^*ΔL = average L value at 4 or 8 or 12 weeks-average L value after UV at baseline).

Fig. 2

The wrinkle reduction by the mixture of vitamin C, vitamin E, pycnogenol and evening primrose oil (LGNC-5).

Table 1

Compositions of the mixture (LGNC-5) and placebo

Table 2

Comparison of basal skin chromaticity between two groups

MED: minimal erythemal dose

Table 3

Skin color (L parameter) changes before and during 12 weeks administration of the mixture LGNC-5 and placebo

1)ΔL value = average L value at 4 , 8 or 12 weeks-average L value after UV exposure at baseline

^*: Significantly different from group Ganada at p < 0.05 (by Student's t-test)

Table 4

Time-course change of wrinkle determined from images of skin replica (% efficacy, average ± SD)

^*, ^**: Significantly different from group Ganada (by Student's t-test), ^*: p < 0.05, ^**: p < 0.001

Table 5

α-Tocopherol concentrations in blood (average ±SD, mg/dL)

^**: Significantly different from group Ganada at p < 0.001 (by Student's t-test)

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