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Abstract
Context: Astaxanthin (ASX), a xanthophyll carotenoid derived from microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis, mitigating skin photoaging and age-related skin diseases by its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in animal studies. Objective: The aim was to systematically evaluate if ASX applications have anti-ageing effects in humans. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science found a total of eleven studies. Nine randomised, controlled human studies assessed oral ASX effects and two open-label, prospective studies evaluated topical, oral-topical ASX effects on skin ageing. GetData Graph Digitizer was used to extract mean values and standard deviations of baseline and endpoint, and Cochrane Collaboration’s tool assessed RoB for all included studies. Review Manager 5.4 was used to conduct meta-analysis of RCTs; the results were reported as effect size ± 95% confidence interval. Results: Oral ASX supplementation significantly restored moisture content (SMD = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.05, 1.01; I2 = 52%; p = 0.03) and improved elasticity (SMD = 0.77; 95% CI = 0.19, 1.35; I2 = 75%; p = 0.009) but did not significantly decrease wrinkle depth (SMD = −0.26; 95% CI = −0.58, 0.06; I2 = 0%; p = 0.11) compared to placebo. Open-label, prospective studies suggested slightly protective effects of topical and oral-topical ASX applications on skin ageing. Conclusions: Ingestion and/or topical usages of ASX may be effective in reducing skin ageing and have promising cosmetical potential, as it improves moisture content and elasticity and reduces wrinkles.
Highlights
This review aims to conduct a systemic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of ASX on human skin ageing, based on currently published trials and highlight future research directions
A total of 103 papers were excluded for reasons shown in Figure 2
That may be explained by small involvements of participants in each study because it is difficult to distinguish whether the result of the small true-effect size was due to a real biological action of ASX or random variation by chance [39,40]
Summary
Astaxanthin (ASX) is a xanthophyll carotenoid, chemically known as 3,30 -dihydroxyβ,β-carotene-4,40 -dione. It was originally isolated from lobster by Kuhn in 1938 [1]. Skin ageing is becoming a global challenge due to the rapidly increasing human lifespan around the world and intensive ultra-violet rays contributing to the destructions of ozone layers [7]. This finding attracts a great deal of scientific interest to investigate if ASX could prevent or even slow down skin ageing, and have a promising cosmeceutical potential
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