Nutritional supplementation of an apple callus extract to target epidermal aging

Abstract

The global increase in life expectancy has led to a growing elderly population, which places a significant burden on healthcare systems. As a result, there is a growing interest to improve healthspan and promote healthy aging with accessible means, such as nutrition and lifestyle interventions. The skin, the body's largest organ and first line of defense against environmental stressors, is particularly vulnerable to aging due to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Various molecular and biochemical changes can drive skin aging, including the depletion of stem cells, which can lead to impaired skin properties. Nutrition plays a crucial role in skin aging, and dietary supplements could be a viable intervention to support a healthy skin. In this study, a plant callus extract from a specific apple variety (Malus Domestica Borkh), the Uttwiler Spätlauber, was evaluated as a dietary supplement to combat epidermal aging. The extract was found to maintain the function of keratinocyte progenitor cells during aging in vitro. Furthermore, an open-label pilot clinical study involving 31 female volunteers showed that the intake of apple callus extract led to improvements in skin elasticity, density, and firmness after 56 days of supplementation. This study highlights the potential of plant callus extracts as natural dietary supplements to support healthy skin aging. The use of plant callus cultures provides a sustainable and reproducible source of bioactive molecules, which is gaining acceptance in the nutraceutical market. These findings suggest that dietary interventions can play a role in promoting healthy skin aging and contribute to a holistic approach to improving healthspan during the aging process.