Evaluation of protective effect of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase-treated Gastrodia elata Blume extract on ultraviolet B-induced premature skin aging

Purpose: To investigate the protective effect of Gastrodia elata Blume (G. elata, GE) and cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) enzyme-treated G. elata extract (EGE) against premature skin aging using ultraviolet B (UVB)-exposed normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs).Methods: The extract was characterized by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC–QToF–MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The expression of matrix  metalloproteinases (MMP-1,3), interleukin-6 (IL-6), transforming growth factor (TGF-β1) and procollagen type I was assayed using ELISA kits. Safety evaluation of EGE’s dietary administration and topical application was performed by in vivo acute oral toxicity and local lymph node tests.Results: Lower MMP-1 and IL-6 and higher procollagen type I and TGF-β1 levels were observed after treatment with EGE than with GE, indicating that EGE was more effective than GE in treating UVBinduced photoaging. With respect to phenolic composition, EGE had lower 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4- HBA) level and higher α-gastrodin level than GE. In UVB-irradiated NHDFs, α-gastrodin exhibited higher anti-aging activity than 4-HBA and β-gastrodin based on the expression of MMP-1, MMP-3, and procollagen type I. The in vivo data indicate that EGE was safe at concentrations of up to 2000 mg/kg for dietary administration and 0.1 % for topical application.Conclusion: EGE protects UVB-induced photoaged human skin better than GE owing to its higher α- gastrodin content. Thus, EGE may be potentially useful agent in anti-aging cosmetic products.Keywords: Gastrodia elata, α-Gastrodin, Anti-aging, CGTase, Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation, Matrix metalloproteinase, Procollagen, Normal human dermal fibroblast

Effects of Melatonin-Rich Milk on Mild Insomnia Symptoms

Background and Objective Insomnia symptoms are common in the general population. This study evaluated the effects of melatonin-rich milk, which contains 10 times more melatonin than usual milk, on insomnia symptoms. Methods Double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial was performed. A total of 91 subjects aged 21−69 years with mild insomnia symptoms were recruited from the community. All the subjects underwent baseline studies for insomnia severity index, Pittsburgh sleep questionnaire index, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Beck depression inventory and a sleep satisfaction scale (range 1−10). For two weeks, the subjects consumed a cup of either melatonin-rich milk or usual milk before going to sleep. Two weeks later, they completed the same questionnaires used in the baseline. Changes in the questionnaire scores for each group were calculated, after which we compared the differences between the two groups. Results Among 91 subjects (male 18, female 73, age 42.1 ± 14.1 years), 44 subjects drank the melatonin-rich milk and 47 drank the usual milk. There was no statistical difference in demographic variables between the two groups. Subjects consuming the melatonin-rich milk reported an improvement in sleep satisfaction scale than the usual milk group (p = 0.023), with significant improvement observed in the subjects aged 20−30 years (p = 0.048). In the ESS Scale, the subjects who had daytime sleepiness showed significant improvement difference between the two groups (p = 0.014), especially in the 20−30 years age group (p = 0.031). Conclusion sMelatonin-rich milk could be an easy and beneficial regimen for young people suffering from mild insomnia, by preventing the development of chronic insomnia