Hyaluronic acid-like autophagy activation and in vivo benefits of a porphyridium exopolysaccharide.

Summary: Abstract Body: As skin ages, hyaluronic acid (HA) production decreases, due inter alia to impaired synthesis by increasingly senescent fibroblasts – and the HA synthesized can show altered structure and impaired functionality. HA has been shown to enhance autophagy and is a key component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and thus a key player in skin healing, homeostasis, hydration, elasticity, and volume / plumpness – thus as HA levels diminish, skin may lose moisture retention capacity and firmness, and visible signs of aging such as wrinkling will appear. Hyaluronic acid replacement by injection, while often effective, involves high cost and discomfort, and can involve undesirable side effects. Here, we present new results on hyaluronic acid-like pro-autophagic and in vivo skin health and beauty benefits of a sulfated exopolysaccharide (EPS) sourced from Porphyridium cruentum, a marine intertidal spray zone microalga. This EPS is key to the algae’s survival in its highly challenging natural environment. In aged skin fibroblasts, the EPS was shown to significantly enhance the autophagic flux, suggesting the EPS might contribute to the clearance of impaired tissue components produced under high tissue senescence loads. This indication was borne out by enhanced expression of key autophagy-associated genes in the same model, including ATG7, DNML1, and LAMP2A. The EPS also significantly increased the production of procollagen I in normal dermal fibroblast culture. In a double-blind clinical trial against a placebo control and a benchmark leg comprising a blend of two HA molecular weight grades, 1% EPS in formulation demonstrated strong improvements, equaling or exceeding the HA benchmark, in skin plumpness and hydration, as well as reductions in skin roughness and wrinkling. This data suggests that this EPS has potential as a safe, natural, and possibly superior pro-autophagic alternative to hyaluronic acid in topical treatment. Fabien Havas¹, Shlomo Krispin¹, Moshe Cohen¹, Joan Attia-Vigneau² 1. Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, Yavne, Israel. 2. Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, Toulouse, France. Epidermal Structure and Barrier Function