Out of the deep blue sea: COSSMA

Slowing down the ageing process and protecting skin against various harmful rays of light are two important aspects that an anti-ageing product should meet. Fidji Briand and Xavier Briand have investigated what fuctosterol and marine carotenoids obtained from the alga Himanthalia elongata can do.

Himanthalia elongata is a more than three metre long giant brown seaweed that is found at a depth of between 10 and 30 metres below sea level. The alga, harvested on the pink granite coast of Brittany, grows from the seabed upwards like bamboo on land and looks very much like a bamboo forest under water.

The alga is very much exposed to intense blue light radiation, particularly blue-violet oxidative radiation. While both orange-red and green radiation from visible light are lmost totally absorbed just a few meters below the surface of the sea, blue light penetrates into the depths and creates the blue colour of the ocean. It is estimated that at more than 60 metres below sea level, vision is monochromatic in blue.

The goal is to explore how the alga Himanthalia elongata manages to keep all its vitality and suppleness in such an oxidative environment. To survive in this rather hostile deep-sea environment, it has developed a unique defensive system that preserves its longevity. Two key substances are identified: fucosterol and marine carotenoids, which play a key role in neutralising the damaging effects of the oxidative stress induced by the environmental  conditions encountered in the depths of the ocean.

figure 1: The quality of the contacts between the fibroblasts determines the contraction power complex.photos: Odycea

The vicious ageing circle

When the contraction power of fibroblasts is at its best, the skin remains firm and toned. It is the contacts between the fibroblasts and the collagen/elastin fibre that determine the quality and resistance of this contractile power. The structure of these contacts is extremely complex. They are composed of proteins from the integrin family.

Ageing associated with oxidative stresses such as multi-light exposure (UV, blue light, infrared type A) and pollution leads to the breakdown of these invaluable contacts so that the contractile forces of the fibroblasts decrease.

Particulate matter in polluted areas also causes oxidative stress, as it promotes the formation of reactive oxygen species. This increases the level of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and the degree of collagen degradation. This means that pollution also contributes to a decrease of the contractile forces  of fibroblasts.

The loss of the contractile forces of fibroblasts leads to the collapse of fibroblasts and thus to the loss of skin firmness and tonicity. This reaction contributes in turn to an over-production of MMP-1 and triggers a cascade reaction leading to a vicious aging cycle.

figure 2: Marine Bamboo up-regulates contractile forces by 23% after blue light exposure. photos: Odycea

Advanced well ageing

The enriched fraction of fucosterol and marine carotenoids derived from organic Himanthalia elongata¹ targets these contractile forces by protecting and restoring them in the ageing process, multi-light, and pollution exposure.

In-vitro studies were performed on the genomic. MMP-1 and elastin gene expression were determined in young and aged fibroblasts by testing the effect of 0.1 percent of the new ingredient on the MMP-1 production. In contrast to a control, the test containing the active ingredient was able to down-regulate the gene expression of MMP-1 in aged fibroblasts by 38 percent, and thus managed to restore and protect the contractile forces of fibroblasts. As it down-regulates MMP-1 gene expression, it prevents collagen fragmentation and preserves fibroblast potential for new collagen production.

In addition, 0.1 percent of the ingredient of marine origin up regulated the gene expression of elastin in aged fibroblasts by 40 percent which preserves the contractile forces of fibroblasts during skin ageing.

Thanks to these effects on fibroblast forces, the vicious ageing cycle can be disrupted resulting in a firming and toning effect.

Protection from light damage

The new marine ingredient absorbs blue light in the 400 to 430nm wavelength range. It focuses on the blue/violet rays, the most toxic high-energy wavelengths, which in fact cause blue light skin damage.

Blue light, same as UV light and IRA disrupt mitochondrial integrity. This increases the formation of ROS, stimulates MMP-1 expression, and decreases the pro-collagen expression, all of which decrease the contractile forces of fibroblasts.

The forces generated by fibroblasts in tense collagen lattices before and after blue light irradiation were quantified under three different conditions:

Non-irradiated control
Blue LED irradiation on fibroblasts for 15 minutes
Blue LED irradiation on fibroblasts with 0.025 percent of the ingredient derived from Himanthalia elongata for 15 minutes

After fibroblasts had been suspended in a gel of polymerised collagen, a dermis equivalent, their contraction forces were measured. The next day the same procedure was repeated.

When comparing the non-irradiated control with the blue LED control, the contractile forces of the irradiated fibroblasts and the migratory activity of fibroblasts in the wrinkles had decreased by 15 percent. The contraction forces of the extracellular matrix had decreased, and the mechanical tension of the skin was reduced, both of which induced a loss of elasticity and tonicity of the dermis. This confirmed that blue light has a damaging effect on the skin.

In contrast to this, after exposure to blue light, the dermis equivalent treated with 0.025 percent of the marine ingredient protected and preserved the contractile forces of the fibroblasts. These effects, obtained after blue light irradiation, was comparable to the non-irradiated control. In fact, the test containing 0.025 percent of the ingredient was able to up-regulate the contractile forces by 23 percent in comparison to the control that had not been exposed to blue light.

In addition, the production of MMP-1 was measured. After blue light irradiation, MMP-1 production increased by 36 percent. The formulation with 0.025 percent of the ingredient reduced the MMP-1 expression by 26 percent, which constitutes a result almost comparable to that of the non-irradiated control.

The protective and reparative effect of fucosterol down-regulates MMP-1 expression and prevents the production of MMP-1 itself, while marine carotenoids reinforce its reparative effect. They rebalance the degradation of the skin’s beta-carotene (one of the skin’s main antioxidants) that is induced by IRA.

Skin firmness and tonicity

An in-vivo study was performed on 24 volunteers (average age 58 years) for 28 days with a cream containing three percent of the marine ingredient was applied on one half of the face and a placebo cream on the other half. Measurements with a Cutometer showed an eight percent increase of firmness after 28 days and an increase of tonicity of 12 percent. The Visia CR measurement showed a smoothing of 4.1 percent.

In a self-evaluation test, 80 percent of these volunteers maintained that their skin was suppler after applying the cream for 28 days. 75 percent noted an anti-wrinkle effect, 75 percent smoother skin, and 70 percent firmer skin.