The
fight against aging has received a scientific boost thanks to an
innovative study done in part by a University of Alberta spin-off
company--research that dispels a hard-held belief about the natural
ingredient, beta glucan. The study, published in the current issue
of International Journal of Cosmetic Science, is the first to show
that oat beta glucan can penetrate the skin despite years of doctors
and scientists believing that the large molecule was too big.
The finding is significant, not only in the treatment of skin
disorders and removing fine lines and wrinkles but in the promotion
of wound healing and reduction in scaring following surgical
procedures, says Dr. Mark Redmond, president and CEO of Ceapro Inc,
a spin-off company formed in the late 1980s to commercialize
technology from the University of Alberta's faculties of pharmacy
and medicine for the treatment of cold sores.
Beta-glucan is the soluble fiber found in the cell walls of
oat kernels. Oat has a long history of safe use in providing fast,
temporary relief of itching and pain associated with minor skin
irritations, has reported to improve the appearance of smoother skin
and has helped wound healing. But it has been long believed that
such a large molecule as beta glucan was too big to penetrate the
skin.
In this paper, Redmond and his co-authors describe using beta
glucan-specific tracking dyes to show the skin penetration did take
place. "Interestingly, the glucan penetrates in the same way that
water penetrates a brick wall--it does not go through the brick, it
goes through the concrete binding the bricks together," says
Redmond. "As a result of our study, we now know that glucan works
through the inter-cellular lipid matrix, or the cells' cement, to
enter the lower levels of the skin. Of medical significance is the
fact that beta glucan creams promote wound healing and reduction in
scaring following surgical procedures."
The research team, made up of Redmond, Ravi Pillai and
Joachim Roding both from Symrise, then measured the depth of the
skin that the glucan penetrated. Photographs show the actual
reduction of wrinkles and consumers should expect to see similar
results on themselves in as little as 10 days, says Redmond. Beta
glucan is already used in a number of products available to
consumers including brand name products from Johnson and Johnson and
Schering Plough. "The proof that we provide in this paper and other
research that we have conducted is that glucan can have a specific
and measurable effect on skin beyond making you look good and
feeling great," says Redmond. "We also have indications that a
number of applications in cosmetics are in the works to use glucan
as the non-invasive alternative to Botox for those who are afraid of
needles."
Ceapro has also discovered that beta glucan can be used as a
transdermal delivery system to feed drugs and other compounds into
the skin. This development may lead to new and better ways of
delivering such medicines as antihistamines and pain relievers.
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