Potentially beneficial effects of rhamnose on skin ageing: an in vitro and in vivo study

Objective Recent findings showed that skin ageing preferentially affects human papillary dermal fibroblasts suggesting that the papillary dermis represents a critical zone altered by skin ageing. Based on these findings, we investigated the potential anti-ageing effect of rhamnose. Methods We investigated the potential anti-ageing effect of rhamnose using in vitro reconstructed skin containing fibroblasts obtained either from young or old donors, and in vivo clinical investigation. Results We detected positive effects of rhamnose in both epidermal and dermal compartments of in vitro reconstructed skin. Moreover, we were able to show that such in vitro findings were also obtained in vivo including an effect on collagen IV and procollagen I production. Conclusion We provide evidence that rhamnose has a potentially beneficial effect on papillary dermis and dermal-epidermal junction, both of the areas which are affected by skin ageing.