Oral sodium hyaluronate relieves knee discomfort: A 12­week double­blinded, placebo­controlled study.

Sodium hyaluronate (SH) is a high molecular-weight polysaccharide composed of repeating polymeric disaccharides of D-glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. SH is present in every connective tissue and organ, with synovial fluid having the highest concentration of SH in the body. The effectiveness of oral SH on gonarthrosis is known; although, its influence on the knees of healthy individuals is not. However, as severe diseases may require surgery, it is better to take care of healthy knees before the onset of gonarthrosis. Therefore, the present study investigated the functionality of SH on the knee of healthy individuals. The present study was a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which healthy adults (mean age: Placebo group, 61.50±1.59; SH group, 58.50±1.81), rated as grade ≤1 based on the Kellgren-Lawrence classification, were administered 111 mg/day SH for 12 weeks. The evaluation of visual analog scales were performed to assess the discomfort in the knees of the participants and were conducted at baseline, and then 6 and 12 weeks after the start of SH ingestion. Additionally, a locomotive syndrome risk test quantifying the mobility of the participants, a one-leg standing time with eyes open test evaluating the strength of the leg muscle as well as the ability to balance by measuring the time to stand on one leg and a blood test (interleukin-10, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, γ-glutamyl transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and C-reactive protein) were performed at baseline and then 12 weeks after the start of SH ingestion. A significant suppression of knee symptoms were demonstrated in the SH group compared with the placebo group in terms of the total visual analog scale scores for pain, stiffness and discomfort for the 31 healthy adult subjects. Significant suppression of symptoms was also demonstrated in the placebo group in terms of discomfort in the knees when descending stairs and pain in the knees after walking for a longer distance or duration than normal. No significant differences between the two groups were demonstrated in the locomotive syndrome risk test, one-leg standing time with eyes open test and the blood test. The results of the present study suggest the possibility that oral SH may help to maintain a healthy condition of the knees. The study protocol was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry in advance (registration no. UMIN000045980, November 4, 2021).

Oral Hyaluronan Relieves Wrinkles and Improves Dry Skin: A 12-Week Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Hyaluronan (HA) is present in all connective tissues and organs, including the skin and joint fluid. However, few clinical trials have comprehensively evaluated the impacts of oral HA on skin conditions, including wrinkles and moisturization. In this study, we conducted a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind trial of daily HA (120 mg) intake for 12 weeks in 40 healthy Asian men and women (aged 35-64 years). Skin condition was determined by the evaluation of wrinkles, stratum corneum water content, the amount of transepidermal water loss, elasticity, and through image analysis. After 12 weeks, skin condition was significantly improved in terms of wrinkle assessment, stratum corneum water content, transepidermal water loss, and elasticity in the HA group compared to the placebo group. Regarding the percentage change from baseline, wrinkle assessment, stratum corneum water content, and skin elasticity were significantly improved in the HA group versus the placebo group after 8 and 12 weeks of ingestion. The present findings indicate that oral ingestion of HA may suppress wrinkles and improve skin condition.

Egg white hydrolyzate reduces mental fatigue: randomized, double-blind, controlled study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to show that ingesting egg white hydrolyzate (EWH) could improve antioxidant capacity and reduce mental fatigue. Two clinical trials were conducted to examine the antioxidant capacity and the fatigue reduction function of EWH. In Study 1, 19 athlete students were received a single dose of EWH (5 g/day) or placebo. In Study 2, 74 athlete students ingested EWH (5 g/day) or placebo before training for 2 weeks. RESULTS: Single dose of EWH significantly increased the antioxidant ability compared with the placebo group (p < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the groups in the oxidative stress test results on Study 1. Two-week intake of EWH significantly decreased mental fatigue compared with the placebo (p < 0.05). This study showed that ingesting EWH improved antioxidant capacity with a single dose and reduced mental fatigue after 2 weeks of ingestion. Trial Registration Japan Medical Association Center for Clinical Trials identifier; JMA-IIA00395 (Study1) and JMA-IIA00396 (Study2), both trials were retrospectively registered on 26 October, 2018.

Oral hyaluronan relieves wrinkles: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study over a 12-week period.

BACKGROUND: Hyaluronan (HA) has critical moisturizing property and high water retention capacity especially for human skin. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of oral intake of HA. METHODS: The mean molecular weight (MW) of HA is 2 k and 300 k. Sixty Japanese male and female subjects aged 22-59 years who presented with crow's feet wrinkles were randomly assigned to the HA 2 k or HA 300 k at 120 mg/day or the placebo group. The subjects were administered HA at a rate of 120 mg/day or a placebo for 12 weeks. The skin wrinkles were evaluated by image analysis of skin wrinkle replicas, and their skin condition was evaluated using a questionnaire survey. RESULTS: During the study period, the HA groups showed better level of the whole sulcus volume ratio, wrinkle area ratio, and wrinkle volume ratio than the placebo group. After 8 weeks of ingestion, the HA 300 k group showed significantly diminished wrinkles compared with the placebo group. Skin luster and suppleness significantly improved after 12 weeks in all groups compared with the baseline. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that oral HA (both HA 2 k and HA 300 k) inhibits skin wrinkles and improves skin condition.

Oral hyaluronan relieves knee pain: a review.

Hyaluronan (HA) is a component that is particularly abundant in the synovial fluid. Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials carried out between 2008 and 2015 have proven the effectiveness of HA for the treatment of symptoms associated with synovitis, and particularly, knee pain, relief of synovial effusion or inflammation, and improvement of muscular knee strength. The mechanism by which HA exerts its effects in the living body, specifically receptor binding in the intestinal epithelia, has gradually been clarified. This review examines the effects of HA upon knee pain as assessed in clinical trials, as well as the mechanism of these effects and the safety of HA.

Dietary hyaluronic acid migrates into the skin of rats.

Hyaluronic acid is a constituent of the skin and helps to maintain hydration. The oral intake of hyaluronic acid increases water in the horny layer as demonstrated by human trials, but in vivo kinetics has not been shown. This study confirmed the absorption, migration, and excretion of (14)C-labeled hyaluronic acid ((14)C-hyaluronic acid). (14)C-hyaluronic acid was orally or intravenously administered to male SD rats aged 7 to 8 weeks. Plasma radioactivity after oral administration showed the highest level 8 hours after administration, and orally administered (14)C-hyaluronic acid was found in the blood. Approximately 90% of (14)C-hyaluronic acid was absorbed from the digestive tract and used as an energy source or a structural constituent of tissues based on tests of the urine, feces, expired air, and cadaver up to 168 hours (one week) after administration. The autoradiographic results suggested that radioactivity was distributed systematically and then reduced over time. The radioactivity was higher in the skin than in the blood at 24 and 96 hours after administration. The results show the possibility that orally administered hyaluronic acid migrated into the skin. No excessive accumulation was observed and more than 90% of the hyaluronic acid was excreted in expired air or urine.

Photoconversion of 6,13-α-diketopentacene in the crystalline phase.

The photoconversion of a crystalline-phase precursor, 6,13-dihydro-6,13-ethanopentacene-15,16-dione (PDK), into pentacene was examined. Upon irradiation with 470 nm light, the photoconversion proceeded even in the crystalline phase. Although the rate of the crystalline phase photoconversion was much slower than that in solution, quantitative photoconversion was achieved upon lengthy photoirradiation. The photoconversion of PDK was also confirmed at the single µm-sized crystal level by observing fluorescence images and spectra of the PDK crystal using confocal microscopy. Destruction of the crystal was observed when some of the PDK molecules in the crystal were photoconverted into pentacene. These results indicate that the crystalline-phase photoconversion of PDK proceeded through the destruction of the crystal. Quantitative photoconversion was achieved as a result.