NCT03289832

Effect of Orally Delivered Phytochemicals on Aging and Inflammation in the Skin

Effect of Orally Delivered Phytochemicals, Alone, and in Combination, on Aging and Inflammation-Related Effects in the Skin

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 25 (actual)
• Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The objective is to determine, in a small number of participants, the protective effects of UV-induced skin erythema (reddening or "sunburn") following oral administration of sulforaphane, curcumin, or a combination of the two plant (diet)-based supplements. The investigators will be using the over-the-counter nutritional supplements Crucera-SGS and Meriva-SF to deliver the biologically stable sulforaphane precursor and a highly bioavailable formulation of curcumin. Volunteers will be challenged with UV irradiation at 2-times the minimum erythematous dose (M.E.D.) on discrete 2 cm diameter circles on the upper buttocks. Skin redness will be monitored daily using a chromometer. Biomarkers will then be evaluated in blood, urine, and skin biopsies.

Detailed description

Oral sulforaphane (SF) delivery results in systemic protection of a wide variety of organ systems which The investigators hypothesize will also include the skin, based on animal studies and preliminary evidence in human volunteers. Since The investigators have only previously evaluated the ability of topical sulforaphane application to protect skin from UV-induced erythema, the next logical step is to evaluate the ability of oral delivery to affect the skin of healthy human volunteers. Curcumin is also a potent anti-inflammatory that acts upon different biochemical pathways from SF, and it is an antioxidant. It was discovered over a century ago, it has been the subject of well over a hundred clinical studies, and it has been an ingredient in common foods eaten by millions of people, for centuries. Before and after consumption of each of these common food ingredients, The investigators will: (a) measure the Phase 2 cytoprotective response in human skin, (b) determine whether it leads to reduced UV-induced erythema (reduced inflammation), (c) evaluate changes in age-related markers such as dermal elasticity, keratin and collagen levels, (d) measure advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in the serum, as biomarkers of systemic (including the skin) reduction in AGE levels, and (e) measure the levels of these biomarkers in skin punch biopsies. The investigators will also evaluate the effects of combined oral SF and curcumin. The investigators anticipate that there may be a true synergistic response between SF and curcumin, and the experiments designed herein are designed to show that synergy, if it exists.

Conditions

• Healthy Adults

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Crucera-SGS	Crucera-SGS is a commercially available dietary supplement. The active ingredient is glucoraphanin, a phytochemical from broccoli and it is prepared as a simple extract of broccoli seeds. Glucoraphanin is converted to sulforaphane by bacteria in the human intestines. Crucera-SGS is formulated by Thorne Research Inc. into gel-caps that make it much more convenient to deliver than having subjects eat broccoli every day.
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Meriva 500-SF	Meriva-SF is a commercially available dietary supplement. The active ingredient is curcumin, a phytochemical from the spice, turmeric, and it is prepared as a simple extract of this plant, formulated with lipids which aid in its absorption and metabolism. Meriva-SF is formulated by Thorne Research Inc. into gel-caps that make it much more convenient to deliver than having subjects eat turmeric powder every day.

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-09-25
• Primary completion: 2019-10-23
• Completion: 2019-10-23
• First posted: 2017-09-21
• Last updated: 2020-07-21

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States