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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Dec;23(12):4255-4267.
doi: 10.1111/jocd.16500. Epub 2024 Jul 29.

The evidence from in vitro primary fibroblasts and a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of tuna collagen peptides intake on skin health

Boontida Morakul  1 , Veerawat Teeranachaideekul  1 , Amaraporn Wongrakpanich  1 , Jiraporn Leanpolchareanchai  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The evidence from in vitro primary fibroblasts and a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of tuna collagen peptides intake on skin health

Boontida Morakul et al. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Collagen peptides from various sources demonstrate benefits in health and well-being both in vitro and in clinical trials. However, there is a scarce study of collagen peptides from Tuna on skin health.

Aims: To investigate the impact of collagen peptides derived from Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis and Thunnus albacares) on skin health, utilizing in vitro biological studies and a randomized controlled trial.

Methods: In vitro biological studies on human dermal primary fibroblasts were evaluated in terms of collagen and elastin synthesis and senescent cell inhibition. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 72 women who were randomly assigned to receive either tuna collagen peptides (n = 36) or a placebo (n = 36) orally for 8 weeks and 2 weeks post-ingestion by measuring skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin elasticity, and skin density.

Results: In vitro biological effects demonstrated dose-dependent positive results in increasing collagen and elastin synthesis and reducing senescent cells. The effects on collagen and senescent cells plateaued at high concentrations. A clinical trial showed that the test group experienced a significant increase in skin hydration, elasticity, and density, along with a decrease in TEWL compared to the baseline. The test and placebo groups showed statistically significant differences at 8 weeks for all parameters except for the TEWL at the face. All positive effects were substantially retained even after 2 weeks of discontinuation.

Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the significant potential of tuna collagen peptides to promote human skin health, warranting further investigation as a potential nutraceutical.

Keywords: collagen peptides; density; elasticity; hydration; transepidermal water loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

This research paper is supported by the Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council through the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness and Thai Union Group PCL. The funding body has no role in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data. The funding body also has no role in writing this manuscript. All authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Relative cell viability (%) of HDFn primary fibroblast after exposure to TCP for 24 (purple), 48 (green), and 72 (blue) h. The PBS‐treated group was considered to have 100% cell viability. The data were plotted according to TCP concentration (mg/mL) and expressed as mean ± SD (n = 3).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Amount of collagen (μg/mL) (A), amount of elastin (μg/mL) (B), and senescent cells inhibition (%) compared to control (C) of the negative control, L‐ascorbic acid, and TCP at concentrations of 15.62, 31.12, and 62.50 mg/mL, tested in HDFn primary fibroblast. The data were expressed as mean ± SD (n = 3). *indicates the significant difference at p < 0.05 compared to the negative control. “ns” means no significant difference between those samples.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Flowchart diagram of the clinical study.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Relative mean change (%) from baseline of the skin hydration in the face (A) and forearm (B), the TEWL in the face (C) and forearm (D), the VE in the face (E) and forearm (F), the skin intensity in the face (G) and forearm (H) at 4, 8, and 10 weeks of TCP (green, n = 36) or placebo (yellow, n = 36) ingestion. The measurements were performed in triplicate. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. The statistical analysis was performed using a two‐way repeated measures ANOVA with Tukey's multiple comparisons test. *, **, *** indicates the significant difference at p < 0.05, <0.01, and <0.001, respectively when compared with its initial time. #, ### indicates the significant difference at p < 0.05 and <0.001 when compared with the placebo group.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
The high‐frequency ultrasonography images of the cross‐sectional view of the skin at baseline (T0) and after ingestion of TCP for 8 weeks (T2). Images were obtained using Dermalab® Combo, 20 MHz ultrasound probe (Cortex Technology ApS, Denmark). Colors represent the intensity of the reflected signal from the skin. Different colors in the image correspond to the varying strengths of the ultrasound signal reflection. Dark colors (e.g., fat layer) indicate low levels of reflection, while light colors (i.e., yellow and green) represent stronger reflections. The dermis layer, visualized with a mixture of colors, reflects the diverse tissue compositions within this layer.
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