Identification of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) as an Active Component Citrus Jabara That Suppresses FcεRI-Mediated Mast Cell Activation.

Jabara (Citrus jabara Hort. ex Y. Tanaka) is a type of citrus fruit known for its beneficial effect against seasonal allergies. Jabara is rich in the antioxidant narirutin whose anti-allergy effect has been demonstrated. One of the disadvantages in consuming Jabara is its bitter flavor. Therefore, we fermented the fruit to reduce the bitterness and make Jabara easy to consume. Here, we examined whether fermentation alters the anti-allergic property of Jabara. Suppression of degranulation and cytokine production was observed in mast cells treated with fermented Jabara and the effect was dependent on the length of fermentation. We also showed that 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) increases as fermentation progresses and was identified as an active component of fermented Jabara, which inhibited mast cell degranulation. Mast cells treated with 5-HMF also exhibited reduced degranulation and cytokine production. In addition, we showed that the expression levels of phospho-PLCγ1 and phospho-ERK1/2 were markedly reduced upon FcεRI stimulation. These results indicate that 5-HMF is one of the active components of fermented Jabara that is involved in the inhibition of mast cell activation.

[Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL)-decreasing Effect by Administration of Zinc in the Elderly People].

In recent years, it has become clear that zinc deficiency is closely related in several skin disorders. In elderly people, chronic itch and dry skin are common. In addition, the zinc concentrations are known to decrease with age. Therefore, we examined the beneficial effects of oral zinc supplementation on dry skin and itch in elderly people. Patients 65 years of age or older who visited the Jose Clinic (Odai-town, Mie Pref.) with serum zinc concentrations below 80 µg/dL were enrolled in the study (low zinc group). The participants were administered zinc acetate hydrate for 12 weeks from the start of the study, and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and stratum corneum moisture content measurements, blood collection, and itch evaluation were performed every 4 weeks. Patients in the control group had serum zinc concentrations of ≥80 µg/dL (the normal zinc group). Results showed that TEWL was significantly higher in the low zinc group than in the normal zinc group, indicating that skin barrier function is impaired in the low zinc group. Serum zinc concentrations increased and TEWL decreased significantly over the 12 weeks of treatment. In addition, a negative correlation was observed between serum zinc concentrations and TEWL. Our results indicate that zinc supplementation is effective to improve the skin barrier function in elderly people.

Association between itching and the serum zinc levels in patients with varicose veins.

BACKGROUND: Varicose veins commonly occur in the lower extremities and can cause pain and discomfort in the affected area. Many patients with varicose veins suffer from itching, but its cause has not been sufficiently explained. In recent years, the role of zinc in maintaining the integrity of skin has been reported, and zinc supplementation has been suggested to be effective in relieving itching. The objective of this study is to elucidate the relationship between itching and serum zinc concentration in patients with varicose veins. METHODS: We measured the stratum corneum water content, TEWL and zinc levels in each participant. The study subjects were 11 patients with varicose veins who were experiencing itching (2 males and 9 females, mean age: 65.9 ± 9.4 years old) and 13 patients without itching (6 males and 7 females, mean age: 59.3 ± 9.5 years old). The control group was comprised of 9 healthy individuals without varicose veins (mean age: 41.7 ± 7.0 years old). RESULTS: The level of stratum corneum water content was significantly lower in the patients experiencing itching compared to those without the symptom, and it was significantly lower in both patient groups than in the control group. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was significantly higher in the patients experiencing itching than those without the symptom, and it was significantly higher in both patient groups than in the control group. In addition, zinc level was significantly lower in the patients with itching compared to those without itching or the control group. For all study participants, relationships between the stratum corneum water content and TEWL against serum zinc were examined. There was a positive correlation between the stratum corneum water content and serum zinc, and a negative correlation was found between TEWL and serum zinc. CONCLUSION: Our novel findings suggested that the development of varicose veins leads to decrease in serum zinc, causing dry skin which could contribute to itching.