Advertisement
photo: Valentyn Volkov/ Shutterstock.com
photo: Valentyn Volkov/ Shutterstock.com

The demand for both natural and effective cosmetics is still increasing worldwide, especially in anti-ageing skin care. In this area, natural hyaluronic acid boosters flood the market to offer alternatives to hyaluronic acid fillers. Indeed, the reputation of hyaluronic acid fillers has suffered lately and is no longer compatible with cosmetic products supporting claims as “better ageing” or “ageing well”.

Glucosamine, an amino sugar naturally present in all human tissues, is the primary substrate for hyaluronic acid synthesis and subsequently to produce proteoglycans. This molecule, already well-known in food supplements to treat osteoarthritis disorders in hydrochloride or sulphated versions, is more and more studied for its benefits on skin ageing and attracts the cosmetic market. Indeed, glucosamine contributes among others to skin hydration, wrinkle reduction and hyperpigmentation issues.

However, glucosamine is still obtained from shellfish or from microorganism fermentation, which can either lead to allergic or sustainability issues or to a variability in yields and physical properties of the substance. 

Thus, there was a need to create a natural glucosamine matching all parameters of naturalness, safety, eco-responsibility and effectiveness. Our company has developed Glucohyami, a new active to answer this demand. This dry extract of chicory root has a concentration in glucosamine of between 10 and 15%. This high concentration was obtained thanks firstly to an innovative process to self-enrich chicory root in glucosamine and secondly to an exclusive manufacturing process which extracts and concentrates glucosamine at the highest level. 

The powerful ingredient Glucohyami offers a plant-based alternative to conventional glucosamine to the natural cosmetics market in order to preserve skin’s beauty.  

Glucohyami has even better efficacy to increase hyaluronic acid synthesis than conventional glucosamine at three-time lower dose.
Glucohyami has even better efficacy to increase hyaluronic acid synthesis than conventional glucosamine at three-time lower dose.

Plant-based alternative to conventional glucosamine 

After many years of research, chicory qualified as the best vegetable candidate for plant-based glucosamine even though the amount of natural glucosamine contained in its roots is fairly low with 0.04 %. 

Indeed, chicory is abundant, renewable and cultivated locally in France. It is well-known in food both for its leaves in salads, and for its fleshy roots as a coffee caffeine-free substitute. The non-used roots of the species Cichorium intybus, the chicory used especially for coffee manufacturing, were upcycled for the development of our new ingredient.

Thus, our main objective was to first find an eco-responsible solution to increase the natural content of glucosamine in chicory roots. Therefore, an eco-responsible innovative process was created. And this is how the process works: After harvesting and drying the root, a specific natural nutritional media was added to stimulate the root’s glucosamine synthesis with its own contained glucose (fig. 1*). Thanks to this process the chicory obtained contained 100 times more glucosamine than the original one. The efforts were then focused on the optimum extraction process to concentrate and obtain the maximum glucosamine in our final active. Our expertise in selective extraction as well as the exclusive drying process (zeodration) allowed us to create Glucohyami, a dry chicory root extract with a standardised glucosamine concentration of glucosamine of between 10% to 15%. 

The next goal was to be able to claim a “natural alternative to conventional glucosamine” and to highlight a similar effectiveness of the chicory active on hyaluronic acid synthesis. The test carried out on fibroblasts showed that native chicory root extract tested at 0.1% (representing Glucohyami without maltodextrin and showing 0.02% glucosamine) increased hyaluronic acid synthesis by 27%. This result was comparable to the one obtained by the benchmark Glucosamine hydrochloride tested at 0.06%, which increased hyaluronic acid synthesis by 26%. Thus, our chicory root extract works at a dose 3 times lower than conventional Glucosamine (see fig. 2*). 

Furthermore, the test showed no dose-dependent effect of both types of glucosamine on the synthesis of hyaluronic acid. This means that an average efficacy dose on fibroblasts for the native chicory extract from 0.1% to 0.3%, corresponds to 0.02% to 0.06% of glucosamine and an equivalent dose of 0.2% to 0.4% of Glucohyami (the native chicory extract on maltodextrin) in a cosmetic product. 

Skin firmness improvement of Glucohyami product versus placebo product after 28 days of treatment.
Skin firmness improvement of Glucohyami product versus placebo product after 28 days of treatment.

Improves + preserves firmness 

To evaluate the effectiveness of the active at an in-vivo level, a clinical study was performed on 20 women with crow’s feet and a loss of facial firmness aged 45 to 65. A gel-cream with 0.4% of our chicory root extract was applied on one hemiface and a placebo cream with no actives on the other, twice a day (morning and night) for 28 days. In addition to instrumental measurements, dermatologist performed clinical ratings and participants did self-evaluations before and at the end of the 28 days. 

With the help of Cutometer measurements it was demonstrated that Glucohyami cream significantly improved skin firmness: by 26% (R0 parameter) for 95% of the participants, whereas the placebo cream only improved skin firmness by 14% for 50% (see fig. 3*). 

The dermatologist’s evaluation confirmed this result by giving a score for sagging skin of -26% for Glucohyami versus -14% for placebo on a structured scale from 0–10 between D1 and D28. 

The eye ptosis was also improved by -20% versus -13% highlighting a tonifying effect around eyelids.

anti-wrinkle effect of Glucohyami product versus placebo product after 28 days of treatment.
anti-wrinkle effect of Glucohyami product versus placebo product after 28 days of treatment.

Replumps wrinkles + fine lines 

In order to evaluate the anti-wrinkle efficiency, 3D Primos measurements (Phaseshift Rapid In vivo Measurement of Skin) were performed. The result was a significant improvement of the skin relief on the three parameters of maximum surface amplitude, the average surface amplitude and the skin roughness after a 28-day-usage of the Glucohyami product in contrast to a non-significant results with placebo (see fig. 4*). 

This anti-wrinkle effect was confirmed by the dermatologist score of -31% for wrinkles around crow’s feet for 95% of women versus -13% for 50% of volunteers for placebo on a structured scale from 0–6 between D1 and D28.

visual effects of Glucohyami product product before (left) and after 28 days of treatment (right).
visual effects of Glucohyami product product before (left) and after 28 days of treatment (right).

Perfecting the skin’s beauty

The smoothing, firming and regenerative effects were visible 28 days after the treatment, see (fig. 5). The slackness of the eyelid is reduced, the crow’s feet appear plumped-up and the skin is globally smoother.crease naturally the hyaluronic acid synthesis and restore skin’s beauty. Thanks to its high content in glucosamine Glucohyami reproduces the natural and skin-identical mechanism to in. aluronic acid synthesis and restore skin’s beauty.

Alexandra Jeanneau, Scientific Communication Manager
Alban Muller International

www.albanmuller.com 

This is a preview

Are you a premium subscriber? Then please log in with the information printed in the latest COSSMA issue.

Don't have a COSSMA account yet?

Subscribers need a personalized account* to view protected online content. Please register an account!

Registration

* If you have a COSSMA Digital Subscription and also have an active BEAUTY FORUM account, then you do not need to register again, but simply use your BEAUTY FORUM account credentials to log in.

More about:

Advertisement

News Ingredients

Advertisement