Quillaja saponaria saponins-rich extract shows anti-inflammatory activity, protecting and repairing action against UV-induced skin damage
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Presented by: Lauren Williams
The quest to develop scientific evidence associated with the use of natural ingredients has been one of the focuses of the cosmetic industry in the last several years, fueled by an increasing number of consumers looking for naturality but also for science and proven efficacy. One of the most successful natural ingredients in the food and the pharma industry has been the extract derived from the Quillaja saponaria tree. The tree is endemic to Chile and grows in dry environments 2,000 meters above sea level. The extract (mainly from the bark and leaves) has a specific saponins content and has been used mainly as a stabilizer of colloidal structures in food and cosmetics and as a very successful immune adjuvant for vaccines, due to its immunomodulatory properties, in pharmaceutics. In the cosmetic industry, Quillaja saponaria derived saponins have been mostly used as natural surfactants to substitute synthetic surfactants and/or create natural derived emulsions.
In the present paper we wanted to explore further the biological properties of the extract and investigate its potential application in skin care products.
Two different extracts from Quillaja saponaria derived from the tree biomass, and with a different content of saponins (9% and 15%), were incubated in vitro with normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) at a non-cytotoxic concentration of 0.00037% to test Quillaja saponin’s ability to prevent an inflammatory response. NHEK were seeded in 24 well plates and cultured for 48 hours. The medium was then replaced with fresh medium containing or not Quillaja saponins, and cells incubated for an additional 24 hours. Phorbol Myristate Acetate (PMA, 0.1 mg/ml) was then added with fresh medium in combination or not with Quillaja saponins. Cells were further incubated for an additional 8 hours. In parallel, a non-PMA stimulated control was performed. At the end of the incubation the cells were washed and frozen. For mRNA activation an Affymetrix chip was used. Results showed a significant increase of chemokines and cytokines induced by PMA (CXCL5, CCL3, IL23A, IL17C, IL6ST). This effect was strongly inhibited by the presence of Quillaja saponins and it was dose dependent on the saponin concentration. These results suggested a strong anti-inflammatory action of Quillaja saponins. Since PMA is known to activate NFkB it is possible that Quillaja saponins interfere with NFkB activation and more experiments will be needed to demonstrate the mechanism.
We then tested the hypothesis that Quillaja saponins would protect and/or repair the skin damaging effect of UV light, known to induce skin redness, damage the stratum corneum and disrupt the skin barrier. We tested Quillaja extract (15% saponins) formulated in a gel at 0.5% or 1%, to protect but also to repair the skin of healthy volunteers irradiated with a solar spectrum (UVA+UVB). Twenty healthy Caucasian women (average age 47 years old) were enrolled by a board-certified dermatologist to participate in the study. Skin redness and Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) were evaluated instrumentally as end points when formulations were applied either before or after UV irradiation. Two different skin areas were treated with the Quillaja formulations, one area was treated with a Placebo formulation (no Quillaja) and another area remained untreated. When Skin Redness was evaluated (Mexameter 18), both Quillaja formulations given as a pre-treatment were significantly effective in reducing redness (-10%, -12% for 0.5% and 1% Quillaja respectively, p<0.05 vs Placebo, Student’s t test) and even more effective as a post-treatment (-20%, 25% after 2 hours treatment from irradiation with 0.5% and 1% Quillaja respectively, p<0.05 vs Placebo, Student’s t test). When TEWL was evaluated (Tewameter TM300), the highest dose Quillaja formulation (1%) as a pre-treatment was significantly effective in reducing TEWL (-27.5%, p<0.01 vs Placebo, Student’s t test) and both formulations significantly more effective as a post-treatment (-37%, -39.2% after 24 hours treatment from irradiation with 0.5% and 1% Quillaja respectively, p<0.01 vs Placebo, Student’s t test).
In conclusion both our in vitro and clinical data showed the capacity of Quillaja saponins to reduce the damaging effect of pro-inflammatory inducers in a dose dependent manner. We believe that by helping to reduce UV induced skin damage, Quillaja Extract can be considered a powerful and natural adjuvant in topical formulations designed for before and after sun exposure.
In the present paper we wanted to explore further the biological properties of the extract and investigate its potential application in skin care products.
Two different extracts from Quillaja saponaria derived from the tree biomass, and with a different content of saponins (9% and 15%), were incubated in vitro with normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) at a non-cytotoxic concentration of 0.00037% to test Quillaja saponin’s ability to prevent an inflammatory response. NHEK were seeded in 24 well plates and cultured for 48 hours. The medium was then replaced with fresh medium containing or not Quillaja saponins, and cells incubated for an additional 24 hours. Phorbol Myristate Acetate (PMA, 0.1 mg/ml) was then added with fresh medium in combination or not with Quillaja saponins. Cells were further incubated for an additional 8 hours. In parallel, a non-PMA stimulated control was performed. At the end of the incubation the cells were washed and frozen. For mRNA activation an Affymetrix chip was used. Results showed a significant increase of chemokines and cytokines induced by PMA (CXCL5, CCL3, IL23A, IL17C, IL6ST). This effect was strongly inhibited by the presence of Quillaja saponins and it was dose dependent on the saponin concentration. These results suggested a strong anti-inflammatory action of Quillaja saponins. Since PMA is known to activate NFkB it is possible that Quillaja saponins interfere with NFkB activation and more experiments will be needed to demonstrate the mechanism.
We then tested the hypothesis that Quillaja saponins would protect and/or repair the skin damaging effect of UV light, known to induce skin redness, damage the stratum corneum and disrupt the skin barrier. We tested Quillaja extract (15% saponins) formulated in a gel at 0.5% or 1%, to protect but also to repair the skin of healthy volunteers irradiated with a solar spectrum (UVA+UVB). Twenty healthy Caucasian women (average age 47 years old) were enrolled by a board-certified dermatologist to participate in the study. Skin redness and Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) were evaluated instrumentally as end points when formulations were applied either before or after UV irradiation. Two different skin areas were treated with the Quillaja formulations, one area was treated with a Placebo formulation (no Quillaja) and another area remained untreated. When Skin Redness was evaluated (Mexameter 18), both Quillaja formulations given as a pre-treatment were significantly effective in reducing redness (-10%, -12% for 0.5% and 1% Quillaja respectively, p<0.05 vs Placebo, Student’s t test) and even more effective as a post-treatment (-20%, 25% after 2 hours treatment from irradiation with 0.5% and 1% Quillaja respectively, p<0.05 vs Placebo, Student’s t test). When TEWL was evaluated (Tewameter TM300), the highest dose Quillaja formulation (1%) as a pre-treatment was significantly effective in reducing TEWL (-27.5%, p<0.01 vs Placebo, Student’s t test) and both formulations significantly more effective as a post-treatment (-37%, -39.2% after 24 hours treatment from irradiation with 0.5% and 1% Quillaja respectively, p<0.01 vs Placebo, Student’s t test).
In conclusion both our in vitro and clinical data showed the capacity of Quillaja saponins to reduce the damaging effect of pro-inflammatory inducers in a dose dependent manner. We believe that by helping to reduce UV induced skin damage, Quillaja Extract can be considered a powerful and natural adjuvant in topical formulations designed for before and after sun exposure.