Abstract
Background: Plant-derived ceramides are functional natural products with various physiological effects that improve water retention and skin permeability functions.
Objective: Herein, we isolated peach (Prunus persica)-derived glucosylceramide with high purity and evaluated its effects on moisture and permeability of skin.
Methods: Three separate experiments were performed: evaluations of the effect of peachderived glucosylceramide application on the ceramide content in a three-dimensional human cultured skin model, water retention effect of the oral administration of the peach-derived glucosylceramide on human skin functionality, and safety of the long-term administration of the peach-derived glucosylceramide in human subjects.
Results: Treatments of three-dimensional cultures of human skin with peach-derived glucosylceramide led to dose-dependent increases in human ceramide contents. Additionally, after oral administration of ceramide to humans, dose-dependent improvements in water retention functions of skin, suppression of trans-epidermal water loss and improvements in skin texture were observed. Furthermore, no significant changes in subjective/objective symptoms, physical characteristics, or laboratory test values were observed in human subjects following long term oral administration of ceramide at doses that were 4.5-9-times greater than recommended. Taken together, the present data indicate the positive effects of peach ceramide on skin function and no adverse effects.
Conclusion: Ingestion of peach ceramide safely improved the state of the skin.
Keywords: Glucosylceramide, skin function, open-label trial, stratum corneum, Prunus persica, moisturizing effect, skin texture.
Graphical Abstract
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