J. Biol. Macromol., 18(3), 59-61 (2018)

ReportOpen-label study of effects of dietary supplement with water shield extract and sake cake powder
on the skin condition of healthy adult females
Akiko Takashima 1, Kimihiko Sano 1, Masayo Murakami 2, Fuyumi Matsui 3, Akira Sasaki 3, Saori
Takahashi 3, Masanori Kumagai 3, Keishi Hata 3, *1

Sano Inc., 3-4-2 Oroshi-machi, Akita, 010-0061, Japan, 2 Noshiro Kousei Medical Center,
Kamimaedachinai, Ochiai, Noshiro City, Akita 016-0014, Japan, 3 Akita Research Institute of Food &Brewing, 4-26 Sanuki, Araya-machi, Akita 010-1623, Japan
Received November 29, 2018; Accepted December 26, 2018
We studied the effects of a dietary supplement (JUNSAICOMACHI) containing water shield
extract and sake cake dry powder on the skin condition of 28 healthy adult females. The
analysis by visual analogue score revealed that continued intake of JUNSAIKOMACHI for 14
days markedly improved “dry skin” and “makeup finishing”, and after 28 days improved 9
symptoms including “dull skin” compared with the subjects’ skin conditions before the trial.
Keywords: Water shield, Sake cake, Open-label clinical study, Visual analogue scale
Introduction
We previously demonstrated that administrationof a dietary supplement containing water shield
extract (ORYZA OIL & FAT CHEMICAL CO.,LTD) and sake cake dry powder (AKITAMEIJYOCO., LTD) markedly increased the number of days
with defecation and defecation frequency
compared with a placebo group. Furthermore, thesubjects simultaneously reported improvement ofskin conditions such as "noticeable pores” byintake of the supplement 1, 2). Based on theseresults of human clinical tests, we developed astick jelly type of dietary supplement containing
water shield extract and sake cake dry powder,
named “JUNSAIKOMACHI” 3). However, theeffects of JUNSAIKOMACHI on human QOL
and skin condition have not been clarified. In thepresent paper, we evaluated the effects ofJUNSAIKOMACHI on the skin condition of
28 healthy adult females by a subjective survey in________________________________________*To whom correspondence should be addressed:
E-mail: hata@arif.pref.akita.jp

a before–after clinical test.
Clinical test
The twenty-eight adult female subjects wereaged 31–58 years. Assessment of lifestyle andhealth questionnaires revealed no medical historyof serious disease, allergic dermatitis, or dietaryintake of supplements that affect skin condition.
Key exclusion criteria were as follows: The candidate was currently taking drugor dietary supplements for a skincondition.
 The candidate currently had, or had ahistory of, diabetes, liver disease, kidneydisease, heart disease and/or any othermetabolic disease.
 The candidate was pregnant or intended
to become pregnant or to breastfeed
during the study period.
 The candidate currently had an allergy torice and/or apple.

Effect of JUNSAIKOMACHI on SKIN CONDITION60



The candidate had participated in anotherclinical study within the previous month.

➢ Dull skin
Extremely
good

Extremely
badDay 0

This clinical trial was performed in accordancewith the 6th revision of the Declaration of Helsinki(2008). Subjects provided written informed
consent and the study was approved by the ethics
committee of Akita Research Institute of Food andBrewing (Approval No. H29-01), without
contribution to the clinical test. The study wasperformed based on the following schedule: 28
subjects were administered one packet/day ofJUNSAIKOMACHI for 28 days, and theirsubjective reports of 16 symptoms of skincondition were assessed using visual analoguescores (VAS, Fig. 1) ranging from 0 mm
(representing an extremely bad condition) to 100mm (representing an extremely good condition).
VAS were determined pre-intervention (Day 0),and on Days 14 and 28.
Results and discussion
The VAS in the present trial are summarized inTable 1. The normal distribution and homogeneityof variance of VAS for all queries at Days 0, 14
and 28 were confirmed by Shapiro-Wilk’s andBartlett’s tests, respectively, and statisticalanalysis was performed by one-way ANOVA with
Tukey’s multiple comparison test.
Significant differences in symptoms of “oily face”,“frequent pimples”, “spots and freckles”, “finelines around eyes”, “corner of eyes sagging”,“cheeks sagging” and “corners of mouth sagging”
were not observed. Marked improvements wererecognized in “dry skin” and “makeup finishing”
of healthy adult females by administration ofJUNSAIKOMACHI in the first 14 days. Further
intake of JUNSAIKOMACHI up to 28 days
significantly affected 9 symptoms, and a marked
difference in VAS of “makeup runs easily” wasobserved between Day 14 and Day 28.

Day 14100 mmDay 28➢ Dry skin
Extremely
bad

Extremely
goodDay 0Day 14Day 28

Fig. 1 Visual analog scale to determine skincondition
We previously reported that administration oftablets containing water shield extract and sakecake dry powder at the same dose as in
JUNSAIKOMACHI improved “noticeable pores”,“elasticity and/or gloss of skin”, “desiccated andgritty skin” and “makeup runs easily” comparedwith a placebo group. However, those tablets did
not affect “oily face”. The data fromadministration of JUNSAIKOMACHI supported
the results of our previous placebo-controlled
double-blind test.

Takashima et al.

61

Table 1. Improvement effects of JUNSAIKOCHI on human female skin condition

Symptom
Dull skin
Dry skin
Skin texture
Elasticity and/or gloss of skin
Rough skin
Desiccated and gritty skin
Oily face
Frequent pimples
Spots and freckles
Noticeable pores
Makeup finishing
Make-up runs easily
Fine lines around eyes
Corner of eyes sagging
Cheeks sagging
Corners of mouth sagging

Day 0
33.2±2.336.8±2.931.6±2.731.9±3.0
38.1±4.0
38.2±4.1
45.4±4.6
48.7±4.3
27.3±3.0
21.7±2.3
36.6±2.831.1±3.1
33.7±3.633.8±3.1
31.9±2.835.8±3.2

VAS (mm, means ± SEM)
Day 14
Day 2839.5±2.6
48.1±3.0***46.2±2.6*54.1±2.6***40.3±2.846.6±3.0**
39.0±2.647.3±3.2**
46.3±3.853.4±3.3*
47.3±3.9
57.7±3.4**52.3±4.1
56.4±3.6
51.6±4.6
56.0±4.629.8±2.735.5±3.528.1±3.035.2±4.0**45.5±3.2*
55.5±3.0***37.4±3.1
48.6±3.5***,§
37.4±3.441.8±3.836.6±3.0
40.1±3.534.5±2.836.8±3.0
38.0±3.2
42.3±3.4

The data represent means±S.E.M. *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001 vs Day 0, § p<0.05 vs Day 14
References
1. Takashima A., Sano K., Murakami M.,
Uehara K., Sasaki A., Hiwatashi K., KumagaiM., Hata K., Shouyakugakuzassi, 71, 94-99(2017)
2. Takashima A., Sano K., Murakami M., HataK., Food processing and ingredients, 52 (9),72- 74 (2017)
3. Takashima A, Sano K., Murakami M., MatsuiF., Sasaki A., Takahashi S., Kumagai M.,
Hata K., J. Biol. Macromol., 18, 11 – 12(2018)
Communicated by Ueno Hiroshi