Effect of Orally Delivered Phytochemicals on Aging and Inflammation in the Skin
Condition: Healthy Adults
MeSH terms: Inflammation
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The objective is to determine, in a small number of participants, the protective effects of
      UV-induced skin erythema (reddening or "sunburn") following oral administration of
      sulforaphane, curcumin, or a combination of the two plant (diet)-based supplements. The
      investigators will be using the over-the-counter nutritional supplements Crucera-SGS and
      Meriva-SF to deliver the biologically stable sulforaphane precursor and a highly bioavailable
      formulation of curcumin. Volunteers will be challenged with UV irradiation at 2-times the
      minimum erythematous dose (M.E.D.) on discrete 2 cm diameter circles on the upper buttocks.
      Skin redness will be monitored daily using a chromometer. Biomarkers will then be evaluated
      in blood, urine, and skin biopsies.
    

Detailed description: 
      Oral sulforaphane (SF) delivery results in systemic protection of a wide variety of organ
      systems which The investigators hypothesize will also include the skin, based on animal
      studies and preliminary evidence in human volunteers. Since The investigators have only
      previously evaluated the ability of topical sulforaphane application to protect skin from
      UV-induced erythema, the next logical step is to evaluate the ability of oral delivery to
      affect the skin of healthy human volunteers. Curcumin is also a potent anti-inflammatory that
      acts upon different biochemical pathways from SF, and it is an antioxidant. It was discovered
      over a century ago, it has been the subject of well over a hundred clinical studies, and it
      has been an ingredient in common foods eaten by millions of people, for centuries. Before and
      after consumption of each of these common food ingredients, The investigators will: (a)
      measure the Phase 2 cytoprotective response in human skin, (b) determine whether it leads to
      reduced UV-induced erythema (reduced inflammation), (c) evaluate changes in age-related
      markers such as dermal elasticity, keratin and collagen levels, (d) measure advanced
      glycation end-products (AGEs) in the serum, as biomarkers of systemic (including the skin)
      reduction in AGE levels, and (e) measure the levels of these biomarkers in skin punch
      biopsies. The investigators will also evaluate the effects of combined oral SF and curcumin.
      The investigators anticipate that there may be a true synergistic response between SF and
      curcumin, and the experiments designed herein are designed to show that synergy, if it
      exists.
    

Intervention name(s): Crucera-SGS; Meriva 500-SF
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): Crucera-SGS is a commercially available dietary supplement. The active ingredient is glucoraphanin, a phytochemical from broccoli and it is prepared as a simple extract of broccoli seeds. Glucoraphanin is converted to sulforaphane by bacteria in the human intestines. Crucera-SGS is formulated by Thorne Research Inc. into gel-caps that make it much more convenient to deliver than having subjects eat broccoli every day.; Meriva-SF is a commercially available dietary supplement. The active ingredient is curcumin, a phytochemical from the spice, turmeric, and it is prepared as a simple extract of this plant, formulated with lipids which aid in its absorption and metabolism. Meriva-SF is formulated by Thorne Research Inc. into gel-caps that make it much more convenient to deliver than having subjects eat turmeric powder every day.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Sulforaphane; Curcumin; Crucera-SGS; Meriva-SF; Skin; erythema; UV; Sunburn; Inflammation; Redness; ultra-violet; sunlight