Periorbital wrinkles reduced by phytoglycogen

To evaluate the benefits of topically applied phytoglycogen, a clinical study was performed.  Volunteers applied a cream containing either 0.1%, 0.3%, or no phytoglycogen (placebo) to their face twice a day for 6 weeks and were assessed by an expert grader at the baseline and after 6 weeks of treatment. The impact of phytoglycogen on crow’s feet wrinkles was evident in facial images taken with a VISIA-CR system.

The skin undergoes many changes as it ages due to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.  The epidermis thins as the subcutaneous fat layer diminishes, collagen and elastin fibers breakdown and their synthesis rates decline, the skin’s capacity to hold water decreases and sebum production slows - resulting in dryer skin, and cellular turnover rates slow - resulting in dull looking skin.1, 2 These changes make the skin susceptible to the formation of wrinkles.   The sensitive skin around the eyes is especially prone to wrinkling as it is thinner than the surrounding skin with less underlying muscle and fat to support it, as well as a lower collagen and sebum content.3 Because of this, periorbital wrinkles, often called ‘crow’s feet’, are one of the first places for wrinkles to develop and one of the first visible signs of ageing.3 

Phytoglycogen, a stored energy source in plants, is chemically identical to the glycogen found throughout the human body and performs much the same function.  The role of glycogen in the skin is not well understood, but evidence of its role in wound healing, moisture retention, and cellular growth have been documented.4-6 Phytoglycogen in the form of monodisperse, 70 nm diameter particles (measured by dynamic light scattering) have been extracted from non-GMO sweet corn (PhytoSpherix®, Mirexus Inc.) and have been shown to promote cellular growth, hyaluronic acid (HA) production, and collagen productionin vitro.4 When applied to human skin tissue, fluorescentlytagged phytoglycogen has been seen to penetrate to depths corresponding to the dermal layer.4 This activity suggests a mechanism by which topically applied phytoglycogen can provide anti-ageing benefits to the skin: when living cells in the dermis take up phytoglycogen, it provides energy to the cells and allows them to proliferate more quickly and produce HA and collagen at an increased rate.  These features are important factors in maintaining youthful looking skin, but begin to slow and diminish with age.2, 7, 8 A clinical study was conducted to validate this effect, and the impact of topically applied phytoglycogen on the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles in the periorbital region wasevaluated by imaging techniques.