Cosmetic Peptide

Anti-aging Peptide Cosmeceuticals

Cosmeceutical research is a rapid growing area in personal care sectors, which extends from facial products to skin and body products. A forecasted report suggested that by 2018, the global market for cosmeceuticals will reach 42 billion dollars and lead to a great demand in near future. Aging is the critical factor that causes skin collagen to lose its physical appearance in many ways such as oil production decrease, dry skin, texture loss, age spots, and loose skin. Aging causes skin thinning, and the end result is wrinkle formation. This is not limited to the aged population; younger individuals exposed to various harsh environmental conditions such as infrared and ultraviolet rays, chemical pollution, and other physical stresses can also be affected. Skin aging is a complicated biochemical progression resulting from many individual intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as age, hormones and exposure to UV light. Chronologically aged skin induced by UV radiation occurs through an increase in MMPs production, including, MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3 and MMP-9, which causes an imbalance of collagen synthesis by the induction of collagen or by ECM degradation. The progression occurs in the epidermal and dermal layers and is mainly related to extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. The enzymes involved in ECM degradation are matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) such as gelatinases (MMP-2) and collagenase. Skin loses its tensile strength due to the effect of ECM degradation by MMPs. In this process, the wrinkling of skin occurs and roughness and dryness also markedly arise along with certain pigment abnormalities such as hypo- or hyper-pigmentation. Hyperpigmentation causes human skin aging and occurs as a result of both internal and external factors including those related to hormones, UV exposure, drugs, and the presence of various chemicals. Melanin biosynthesis is a pathway that appears in melanocytes.Cosmetic scientists have conducted various in vivo and in vitro studies on skin lightening agents. The key enzyme that regulates melanin synthesis is tyrosinase. Tyrosinase is a rate-limiting enzyme that converts tyrosine to melanin. Tyrosine inhibitors thus play an importance role as skin-lightening agents.

Collagen synthesis in skin fibroblasts plays a major role in skin rejuvenation. The reduction of types I and III procollagen synthesis is a critical feature of aged skin leading to skin thinning and the increased fragility of skin. Hence, the inhibition of collagen synthesis or a loss in the function of collagen results in chronologically aged skin.

Peptides have important applications in modulating of skin cell proliferation, cell migration, inflammation, angiogenesis, melanogenesis, and protein synthesis and regulation. With variations in amino acid sequence, number of amino acids and derivatives, the future of peptide based cosmeceuticals is bright.