Efficacy of porcine placental extract on wrinkle widths below the eye in climacteric women

Abstract

Objective Injections of human placental extract, which is known to play a role in skin regulation, have long been used for the treatment of skin wrinkles and non-healing wounds. Porcine placental extract (PPE), an oral supplement, was recently developed for this purpose. The aim of this study was to assess whether PPE has a positive effect on the improvement of fine wrinkles below the eye in climacteric women.

Methods We first non-invasively measured wrinkle widths with a skin analyzer in a cross-section of 185 healthy adult Japanese women. Next, 44 climacteric women with mild or few climacteric symptoms were enrolled into an open-label, randomized, controlled study of the effect of PPE on wrinkle widths. A retrospective comparison of wrinkle widths in 123 climacteric women with climacteric symptoms with or without PPE treatment was also performed.

Results Wrinkle widths below the eye in women ≥ 30 years of age were significantly higher than in women 20–29 years of age. Treatment with three capsules of PPE per day was significantly (p < 0.05) effective in reducing wrinkle widths at 24 weeks compared with control subjects. Retrospective analysis showed that subjects treated with three (p < 0.05) and six (p < 0.01) capsules of PPE per day observed a significant reduction in wrinkle widths compared with untreated subjects.

Conclusion Oral PPE treatment is a possible option for improving the appearance of fine wrinkles below the eye in climacteric women.

Key words::

• CLIMACTERIC SYMPTOMS
• SKIN WRINKLING
• PORCINE PLACENTAL EXTRACT
• ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
• COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE

Acknowledgement

The authors thank Mr Taiichi Kaku (Japan Bio Products Co., Ltd.) for providing PPE.

Conflict of interest The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Source of funding This work was partially supported by the NPO Science Research Center for Alternative Medicine, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.