Abstract
Collagen is a major constituent of connective tissues of animals and fish. Collagen hydrolysate can be manufactured by enzymatic hydrolysis of gelatin, a denatured form of collagen prepared on an industrial scale and its use as a health-food ingredient has been attracting worldwide attention. Many skin disorders are affected by dietary factors and supplements of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids have been reported to improve some conditions. However, little is known about the influence of collagen hydrolysate. Recently, we demonstrated that daily ingestion of increases the moisture content of the stratum corneum. The supply of water is dependent on movement from the dermis to the epidermis, and from the epidermis to the stratum corneum, this being controlled by the Donnan effect or condensation theory. Extracellular matrix (ECM) materials play important roles in the water-retention functions of the stratum corneum. They also contribute to the viscoelastic properties of the dermis, the ECM being a dense network of collagen and elastin embedded in a ground substance composed of proteoglycans and glycoproteins, such as hyaluronic acid. Collagen hydrolysate has the potential to benefit the ECM and in this review, we provide evidence that daily ingestion improves functions though change in ECM elements.
