In our ageing society, the increasing incidence of metabolic diseases such as diabetes poses substantial problems. The rising prevalence of diabetes is attributed to obesity linked with a sugar-rich diet. In the skin, a high presence of free sugar molecules causes glycation, a process where proteins and sugars are cross-linked to form advanced glycation end products (AGE). The formation of AGEs has a negative impact on the elasticity of the skin as cross-linked collagen and elastin fibers are stiffened. Furthermore, the yellow-brownish colour of AGEs leads to a change in skin tone towards a more yellow appearance. Additionally, AGEs lead to constant inflammatory processes which exacerbate the ageing effect of high sugar concentrations in the skin. Here we show a cosmetic approach with different testing methods to help prevent the formation of AGEs and to ameliorate the downstream effects of glycation in the skin using an extract of Ziziphus spina-christi leaves.
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