Pomegranate May Reverse Skin Aging

NOBLESVILLE , Ind. A new study indicates POMELLA® Extract, a pomegranate extract standardized to punicalagins, may help promote healthy, young-looking skin in several ways

The study, performed at Texas A&M University and published online in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry on August 22, explored the protective effects of the clinically researched pomegranate extract against ultraviolet rays (UV-A and UV-B) in SKU-1064 human skin fibroblast cells.

In this study, the extract reversed UV-induced up-regulation of collagenases, specifically matrix metalloproteinases MMP1 and MMP13.  During the natural course of aging, collagenases break down collagen, the structural fiber in skin which keeps skin looking firm and young.

Also revealed in this study, the pomegranate extract increased UV-inhibited  SIRT1 at concentrations of as little as 20ppm.  SIRT1 is a major target for longevity research, and its up-regulation is associated with the potential for life extension in in vivo models.  The extract also showed positive effects promoting healthy DNA repair, intracellular antioxidant capacity (measured by ORAC), and healthy NF-kB regulation already within the normal range.

When POMELLA Extract was being developed, it was an exhaustive process because we wanted to make sure it was the best candidate to provide tangible health benefits, said Blake Ebersole, technical director, Verdure Sciences.  So while some of these findingssuch as increased intracellular ORACare not completely unanticipated, there are some surpirising new findings for pomegranate.  For example, the range of biomarkers affected such as SIRT1, the ubiquity and importance of these biomarkers in other areas of the body, as well as the relatively low concentrations needed to observe these effects.

(Source: Verdue Sciences)