Patent Description:
Profilaggrin stored in the granular cell layer of skin tissue is decomposed into filaggrin through dephosphorylation during keratinization. Filaggrin migrates from the granular cell layer to a stratum corneum and binds to and aggregates with keratin fibers to form a keratin pattern. Filaggrin decomposes into low molecules such as urocanic acid and acts as a natural moisturizing factor related to water retention and ultraviolet absorption.

The marginal band is a part of the stratum corneum of the skin tissue and is a very strong and huge insoluble structure lining cell membranes of corneocytes. The main structural elements of the marginal band are proteins such as involucrin and loricrin, which are crosslinked by enzymes such as transglutaminase (TG) <NUM>. Involucrin and loricrin are produced from prickle cells and granule cells, respectively. The marginal band includes a structure in which keratin such as keratin <NUM> and filaggrin aggregate.

It has been reported that expressions of filaggrin, involucrin, transglutaminase <NUM>, keratin <NUM>, and loricrin are promoted by specific peptides such as glycylproline (Patent Literature <NUM>) and piper longum extract (Patent Literature <NUM>). Patent Literature <NUM> discloses an enzyme-catalyzed process for preparing N-acylated amino acid amides and N-acylated amino acids, and a cleaning composition and personal care composition containing an N-acyl amino acid amide. Patent Literature <NUM> discloses a cosmetic composition of compounds of lipoamino acid structure and having germicidal activity. Patent Literature <NUM> relates to a detergent for the body containing at least one or two or more kinds of long-chain fatty acids or salts thereof, N-acyl-a-primaryin or a salt thereof, a polyhydric alcohol liquid at room temperature and a polymer compound. Non-Patent Literature <NUM> discloses N-octanoyl glycine as a cosmetic ingredient with anti-wrinkle, moisturizing effects.

Either specific peptides such as glycylproline or the piper longum extract, however, has weak expression promoting action of moisturizing-related proteins such as filaggrin, and is insufficient to be utilized as the active component of a moisturizer.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems and an object of the present invention is to provide a moisturizer that can sufficiently promote the production of moisturizing-related proteins and can achieve sufficient moisturizing effect and a cosmetic including the moisturizer.

The inventors of the present invention have carried out intensive studies to achieve the above object. As a result, the inventors of the present invention have found that an acyl amino acid having a carbon atom number of <NUM> to <NUM> and a salt thereof can promote the production of the moisturizing-related proteins such as filaggrin, involucrin, transglutaminase <NUM>, keratin <NUM>, and loricrin and, as glycylproline, the acyl amino acid can reduce the production of an inflammatory cytokine that prevents moisturizing action and have achieved the present invention based on this finding.

The present invention is laid out in the appended claims.

The moisturizer for use according to the present invention can exhibit sufficient moisturizing effect. The moisturizer for use according to the present invention can promote the production of the moisturizing-related proteins. Consequently, the moisturizer for use according to the present invention is useful for cosmetics.

The moisturizer for use according to the present invention includes one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of an acyl neutral amino acid including an acyl group having a carbon atom number of <NUM> to <NUM>, and more specifically <NUM> to <NUM>, and a salt thereof.

The acyl neutral amino acid means a neutral amino acid substituted with an acyl group. The acyl group (alkanoyl group) is a group represented by a formula: - C(=O)-R (in the formula, R is an alkyl group) and may be either linear or branched. In the formula, R may contain one or more double bonds.

The lower limit of the carbon atom number in the acyl group is three or more. The acyl neutral amino acid having such an acyl group can maintain the safety to skin. The upper limit of the carbon atom number in the acyl group is <NUM> or less, and more preferably <NUM> or less. Consequently, the carbon atom number is preferably <NUM> to <NUM>, and further preferably <NUM>.

Examples of the acyl group may include a butanoyl group, a pentanoyl group, a hexanoyl group, a heptanoyl group, an octanoyl group, a nonanoyl group, a decanoyl group, and a dodecanoyl group. Acyl groups having a carbon atom number of <NUM> to <NUM> such as the pentanoyl group, the hexanoyl group, the heptanoyl group, the octanoyl group, the nonanoyl group, and the decanoyl group are more preferable and acyl groups having a carbon atom number of <NUM> such as the octanoyl group is further preferable.

The neutral amino acids include alanine and valine. The stereostructure of the neutral amino acid is not particularly limited. Any of L forms, D forms, and DL forms may be usable.

The salt of the acyl neutral amino acid may be the salt of the acyl neutral amino acid described above. The salt may be a pharmaceutically acceptable salt. Examples of such a salt may include alkali metal salts such as a potassium salt and a sodium salt; alkaline earth metal salts such as a calcium salt, a barium salt, and a magnesium salt; ammonium salts such as an ammonium salt and a tricyclohexyl ammonium salt; and alkanolamine salts such as a monoethanolamine salt, a diethanolamine salt, a triethanolamine salt, a monoisopropanolamine salt, a diisopropanolamine salt, and a triisopropanolamine salt.

A method for producing the acyl neutral amino acid and the salt thereof is not particularly limited. Examples of the method include a chemical synthesis method, a fermentation method, and a gene recombination method.

The acyl neutral amino acid and the salt thereof have production promotion action of one or more moisturizing-related proteins selected from the group consisting of filaggrin, involucrin, transglutaminase <NUM>, keratin <NUM>, and loricrin. This action can improve or maintain moisture retention of skin. Consequently, the acyl neutral amino acid and the salt thereof are used as an active component for production promoter for the moisturizing-related protein.

The moisturizer for use according to the present invention may include a moisture retention component and/or a production promoter of the moisture retention component other than the acyl neutral amino acid involving an acyl group having a carbon atom number of <NUM> to <NUM> and an ester thereof, if needed.

The moisturizer for use according to the present invention preferably includes the acyl neutral amino acid and the salt thereof that have no cytotoxicity. More preferably, the moisturizer for use according to the present invention does not substantially include the acyl neutral amino acid and the salt thereof that has cytotoxicity. The phrase "do not have cytotoxicity" means that a cell survival rate when <NUM> to <NUM> of a sample is added to human epidermal keratinocytes (for example, calculated from light absorbance measured under conditions in Examples <NUM> to <NUM>) is, for example, <NUM>% or higher, <NUM>% or higher, <NUM>% or higher, or preferably <NUM>% or higher. For example, the acyl neutral amino acid involving an acyl group having a carbon atom number of <NUM> (example of acyl neutral amino acid: valine) and the salt thereof may have cytotoxicity. The phrase "do not substantially include the acyl neutral amino acid and the salt thereof that have cytotoxicity (for example, the acyl neutral amino acid involving an acyl group having a carbon atom number of <NUM> and the salt thereof)" means that the content of the acyl neutral amino acid and the salt thereof that have cytotoxicity in the moisturizer is usually <NUM>% by weight or lower, preferably <NUM>% by weight or lower, more preferably <NUM>% by weight or lower, and further preferably <NUM>% by weight or lower in the total content of the acyl neutral amino acids and the salts thereof.

The moisturizer for use according to the present invention may be included in a cosmetic or an external preparation for skin. The content of the moisturizer in the cosmetic and the external preparation for skin of the present invention can be adequately adjusted depending on the type of the cosmetic and the external preparation for skin and is not particularly limited. The suitable content in terms of the total amount of the acyl neutral amino acid and the salt thereof is preferably <NUM>% by weight or higher and more preferably <NUM>% by weight or higher when the cosmetic or the external preparation for skin is determined to be <NUM>% by weight. The upper limit of the content is preferably <NUM>% by weight or lower, more preferably <NUM>% by weight or lower, and further preferably <NUM>% by weight or lower.

The cosmetic is usually applied to skin, nails, mucosa, and hair and is preferably used for skin. Therefore, examples of the dosage form of the cosmetic for use according to the present invention include an aqueous solution, an emulsified product, a powder dispersion, and an emulsion (an oil-in-water type emulsion, a water-in-oil type emulsion, or the like). Specific examples include a liquid formulation, an oil formulation, a lotion, a gel, a sol, an emulsion, a suspension, a cream, an ointment, a patch, and a stick. Examples of what is called cosmetic include skin lotions such as a lotion and an beauty essence; emulsions such as an emollient emulsion, a milky lotion, a nourishing emulsion, and a cleansing emulsion; creams such as an emollient cream, a massage cream, a cleansing cream, and a make-up cream; a spray; cosmetics for make-up such as a facial pack, a foundation, a lip rouge, a lipstick, an eye shadow, a cheek color, a face powder, a color powder, and a manicure; cosmetic products for hair care such as a hair tonic, a shampoo, a rinse, and a hair lotion; and cosmetics for skin cleansing such as a facial wash, a makeup remover, a body shampoo, and a soap.

The external preparation for skin for use according to the present invention can be used as a drug or a quasi-drug. Examples of the dosage form of the external preparation for skin for use according to the present invention include a liquid, a lotion, an ointment, a cream, a plaster, a tape formulation, and a powder.

The cosmetic and the external preparation for skin for use according to the present invention may include one or more base materials. The base material may be a base material used for common external preparations. Examples of the base material include an oily base material, a water-soluble base material, and a surfactant. Examples of the oily base material include vegetable oils and fats such as a cottonseed oil, a sesame oil, an olive oil, and a cocoa butter; waxes such as carnauba wax and beeswax; higher hydrocarbons such as a vaseline, a liquid paraffin, a solid paraffin, squalane, an olefin oligomer, and a plastibase; fatty acids such as stearic acid and palmitic acid and esters thereof; higher alcohols such as cetanol; silicones such as methylpolysiloxane, methylphenylpolysiloxane, a silicon fluid, a silicone rubber, and a silicone oil; base waxes such as a white kerosene, and natural macromolecules. Examples of the water-soluble base material include polyvinyl alcohol, carboxyvinyl polymers, cellulose derivatives (methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, cationized cellulose, and the like), esters (isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate, stearyl stearate, octyldodecyl myristate, octyldodecyl oleate, <NUM>-ethylhexanoic acid triglyceride, and the like), polyols (ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, a polypropylene glycol copolymer, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, <NUM>,<NUM>-butylene glycol, glycerol, and the like), and alcohols (ethanol and the like).

The cosmetic and the external preparation for skin for use according to the present invention may include commonly used additive components, if needed. Examples of the additive components include emulsifiers, surfactants, viscosity modifiers, stabilizers, pH adjusters, preservatives, absorption promoters, pearl ingredients, anti-inflammatory agents, ultraviolet absorbers, ultraviolet scattering agents, other functional components (physiologically active components), flavoring agents, and coloring matter.

Examples of the emulsifiers include glyceryl monostearate, sorbitan monopalmitate, polyoxyethylene cetyl ethers, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurates, and diglycerol monostearate ester.

Examples of the surfactants include anionic surfactants such as polyoxyethylene sorbitan oleates, higher fatty acid soaps, alkyl sulfates, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl ether phosphates, N-acyl amino acid salts, and acyl N-methyl taurine salts; cationic surfactants such as alkyltrimethylammonium chlorides and dialkyldimethylammonium chlorides; amphoteric surfactants such as alkyldimethylaminoacetic acid betaines, alkylamidodimethylaminoacetic acid betaines, and <NUM>-alkyl-N-carboxy-N-hydroxyimidazolinium betaines; and nonionic surfactants such as polyoxyethylene surfactants, polyhydric alcohol ester surfactants, and ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymers.

Examples of the viscosity modifiers include polyacrylic acid, xanthan gum, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, carboxyvinyl polymers, polyoxyethylene glycol distearate, and ethanol. Examples of the stabilizers include ascorbic acid, sodium pyrosulfite, and EDTA. Examples of the pH adjusters include phosphate buffers and sodium hydroxide. Examples of the preservatives include ethyl parahydroxybenzoate, sodium benzoate, salicylic acid, sorbic acid, parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, and the like), and sodium bisulfite.

The moisturizer, the cosmetic, and the external preparation for skin for use according to the present invention can exhibit excellent effects on prevention, suppression, and treatment of chapped skin caused by aging, drying, skin diseases (atopic dermatitis and the like), and the like and also can exhibit an anti-wrinkle effect, an anti-pigment spot effect, and an anti-freckle effect.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Examples. The present invention, however, is not limited to Examples.

Human normal epidermal keratinocytes NHEK (NB) (manufactured by KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD. ) were precultured with HuMedia-KG2 (manufactured by KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD. ) and the precultured human normal epidermal keratinocytes were adjusted in a concentration of <NUM>×<NUM><NUM> cells/mL. After adjusting the concentration, <NUM> of the culture solution (that is, <NUM>×<NUM><NUM> cells/well) was poured to a plate having <NUM> wells and the poured culture solution was cultivated for <NUM> day. Samples (octanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C8Val), octanoyl-alanine (Example <NUM>: C8Ala) octanoyl-leucine (Reference Example <NUM>: C8Leu), octanoyl-isoleucine (Reference Example <NUM>: C8Ile), octanoyl-glycine (Reference Example <NUM>: C8Gly), glycylproline (Comparative Example <NUM>: Gly-Pro), and valine (Comparative Example <NUM>: Val)) were added to the wells so that each of the samples has the concentration illustrated in respective graphs and the added samples were reacted for <NUM> hours. After the reaction, entire RNA was extracted from the cells and subjected to reverse transcription. The amplified amounts of the target genes (filaggrin, involucrin, transglutaminase (TG) <NUM>, keratin <NUM>, and loricrin) were measured by real time PCR (n=<NUM>) and the measured amplified amounts were compared with the amplified amount of a control (no acyl neutral amino acid was added). GAPDH was used as a corrected gene. Calculation was carried out using a comparative CT method. TaqMan (registered trademark) Gene Expression was used as a primer and a probe and FAM was used as a fluorescent dye. The results are illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>.

As is clear from <FIG> and <FIG>, the amplified amounts of each of the target genes in Examples <NUM> and <NUM> and Reference Examples <NUM> to <NUM> were larger than those of Comparative Examples <NUM> and <NUM>. These results indicate that the acyl neutral amino acids can promote the production of the moisturizing-related proteins and can exhibit the moisturizing effect when the acyl neutral amino acids are included in cosmetics.

The comparison was carried out in the same manner as Example <NUM> except that the samples (butanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C4Val), hexanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C6Val), octanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C8Val), decanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C10Val), dodecanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C12Val), and acetyl-valine (Reference Example <NUM>: C2Val) were used and filaggrin, involucrin, and transglutaminase (TG) <NUM> were determined to be the target genes. The results are illustrated in <FIG>.

As is clear from <FIG>, the amplified amounts of each of the target genes in any of Examples <NUM> to <NUM> and Reference Example <NUM> were larger than the amplified amounts of the control. These results indicate that the acyl neutral amino acids involving an acyl group having a carbon atom number of <NUM> to <NUM> and the salts thereof can promote the production of the moisturizing-related protein regardless of the kinds of the acyl groups and can exhibit the moisturizing effect when the acyl neutral amino acids are included in cosmetics, which indicates that the acyl neutral amino acids and the salts thereof are useful as the active components of the cosmetics.

About <NUM> of each compound was precisely weighed in a weighing bottle and the weighed samples were placed in a constant-temperature and constant-humidity chamber (LH-<NUM>-<NUM>, manufactured by NAGANO SCIENCE CO. ) in which the humidity was set to <NUM>% RH to measure a weight increase ratio [A] after <NUM> days. Subsequently, the same samples were placed in the constant-temperature and constant-humidity chamber in which the humidity was set to <NUM>% RH to measure a weight increase ratio [B] after <NUM> days. It can be considered that, as the ratio of [B] to [A] becomes higher, more moisture can be retained even when the environment becomes low humidity and thus that the compound having the higher value of the ratio can be considered as a compound having higher moisturizing power. The studied results are listed in Table <NUM>.

As is clear from Table <NUM>, a N-octanoyl-L-valine sodium salt in Example <NUM> and a N-octanoyl-L-alanine sodium salt in Example <NUM> exhibited high moisturizing power compared with glycerol in Comparative Example <NUM> and sorbitol in Comparative Example <NUM>, which are generally believed as raw materials for cosmetic products having high moisturizing power. These results indicate that the acyl neutral amino acids involving an acyl group having a carbon atom number of <NUM> to <NUM> and the salts thereof are presumed to promote the production of the moisturizing-related proteins regardless of the kinds of the acyl groups and can exhibit the moisturizing effect, which indicates that the acyl neutral amino acids and the salts thereof are useful as active components of the cosmetics.

Human normal epidermal keratinocytes NHEK (NB) (manufactured by KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD. ) were precultured with HuMedia-KG2 (manufactured by KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD. ) and the precultured human normal epidermal keratinocytes were adjusted in a concentration of <NUM>×<NUM><NUM> cells/mL. After adjusting the concentration, <NUM> of the culture solution (that is, <NUM>×<NUM><NUM> cells/well) was poured to a plate having <NUM> wells and the poured culture solution was cultivated for <NUM> day. Samples (lauroyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C12Val), decanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C10Val), octanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C8Val), hexanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C6Val), butanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C4Val), and acetyl-valine (Reference Example <NUM>: C2Val), lauroyl-alanine (Example <NUM>: C12Ala), decanoyl-alanine (Example <NUM>: C10Ala), octanoyl-alanine (Example <NUM>: C8Ala), hexanoyl-alanine (Example <NUM>: C6Ala), and butanoyl-alanine (Example <NUM>: C4Ala)) were added to the wells so that each of the samples has the concentration illustrated in respective graphs and the added samples were reacted for <NUM> hours. After the reaction, entire RNA was extracted from the cells and subjected to reverse transcription. The amplified amounts of the target gene (filaggrin) were measured by real time PCR (n=<NUM>). The amplified amount of the control (no acyl neutral amino acid was added) was determined to be <NUM>% and the measured values were compared with this value. GAPDH was used as a corrected gene. Calculation was carried out using a comparative CT method. TaqMan (registered trademark) Gene Expression was used as a primer and a probe and FAM was used as a fluorescent dye.

The following evaluation was carried out depending on the amplified amounts. The results are listed in Table <NUM> and <NUM> and illustrated in <FIG>.

Human normal epidermal keratinocytes NHEK (NB) (manufactured by KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD. ) were precultured with HuMedia-KG2 (manufactured by KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD. ) and the precultured human normal epidermal keratinocytes were adjusted in a concentration of <NUM>×<NUM><NUM> cells/mL. After adjusting the concentration, <NUM> of the culture solution (that is, <NUM>×<NUM><NUM> cells/well) was poured to a plate having <NUM> wells and the poured culture solution was cultivated for <NUM> day. Samples (lauroyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C12Val), decanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C10Val), octanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C8Val), hexanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C6Val), butanoyl-valine (Example <NUM>: C4Val), and acetyl-valine (Reference Example <NUM>: C2Val)) were added to the wells so that each of the samples has the concentration illustrated in respective graphs and the added samples were reacted for <NUM> hours. Thereafter, the culture medium was discarded and replaced with <NUM>/well of Neutral Red solution. The resultant sample was further cultured for <NUM> hours. As the Neutral Red solution, a solution prepared by diluting Neutral Red (manufactured by KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD. ) with HuMedia-KG2 culture medium/normal saline solution (<NUM>:<NUM>) to <NUM>/<NUM> was used. The cells stained with the Neutral Red solution were washed with PBS (-) one time, thereafter fixed by <NUM>/well of <NUM>% CaCl<NUM>/<NUM>% formalin solution, extracted by adding <NUM>/well of <NUM>% acetic acid/<NUM>% ethanol solution at room temperature for <NUM> minutes. The light absorbance of the resultant sample was measured using a plate reader at <NUM>/<NUM>.

The following evaluation was carried out depending on the cell survival rates. The results are listed in Table <NUM> and illustrated in <FIG>.

Evaluation of Examples <NUM> to <NUM> and <NUM> to <NUM>, and Reference Example <NUM> indicates that each of the acyl neutral amino acids can amplify the filaggrin gene. Evaluation of Examples <NUM> to <NUM> and Reference Example <NUM> indicates that the cytotoxicity of the acyl neutral amino acid in Example <NUM> is high, whereas the cytotoxicity of each of the acyl neutral amino acids in Examples <NUM> to <NUM> and Reference Example <NUM> is low. When the evaluations of the amplified amount of the filaggrin gene and the cytotoxicity are summarized, it is clear that the acyl neutral amino acids involving an acyl group having a carbon atom number of <NUM> to <NUM> are preferable, the acyl neutral amino acids involving an acyl group having a carbon atom number of <NUM> to <NUM> are more preferable, and the acyl neutral amino acids involving an acyl group having a carbon atom number of <NUM> are further preferable.

A skin cream was prepared by preparing and mixing A, B, and C in the compositions listed in Table <NUM>.

An emulsion was prepared by preparing and mixing A, B, C, D, and E in the compositions listed in Table <NUM>.

Claim 1:
Use of a compound selected from the group consisting of
an acyl valine and an acyl alanine involving an acyl group having a carbon atom number of <NUM> to <NUM>, and
a salt thereof, as an active moisturizing component of a moisturizer, wherein the moisturizer is applied to skin, nails, mucosa, and/or hair, and used to promote production of one or more moisturizing-related proteins selected from the group consisting of filaggrin, involucrin, transglutaminase <NUM>, keratin <NUM>, and loricrin.