Benefits
Skin resistance to UV redness
In a 56-day placebo-controlled trial of 110 adults, 100 mg a day raised the minimal erythema dose (the UV dose needed to redden skin) by about 22%, a significantly larger change than placebo, and lessened UV redness. An earlier study also found less UV redness after 15 days. This is support from within and does not replace sunscreen.
Skin moisture, elasticity and wrinkle depth
In the same 110-person trial, skin moisture, elasticity and radiance improved and water loss through the skin fell over 56 days, and the depth of the deepest wrinkle dropped about 7% with no significant change on placebo. Other wrinkle measures (length, area and count) did not change. The trial was funded by the maker.
Antioxidant balance in the blood
In a placebo-controlled trial of 60 adults aged 45 to 60, 100 mg a day for 8 weeks raised red-cell glutathione and lowered oxidized glutathione and reactive oxygen metabolites compared with placebo. A Bionap employee co-authored the study. Older studies in people with type 2 diabetes and in traffic police officers also reported better oxidative stress markers.
Mechanism of action
Anthocyanin antioxidants
Its anthocyanins, flavanones and vitamin C are antioxidants. In the skin trial, skin antioxidant capacity rose and UVA-induced lipid peroxidation fell, which fits a role in limiting oxidative damage from UV light.
Inflammation signals
In the 60-person trial, serum TNF-alpha, a signal of inflammation, fell 2.5% after 8 weeks. This is a small change in one marker, and whether it matters for the skin is not known.
Clinical trials
Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Beijing and Milan of 100 mg a day for 56 days. Funded by Bionap (Nobile et al. 2022, Nutrients)
110 healthy adults aged 35 to 55 with mild to moderate skin aging, 55 per group.
The UV dose needed to redden skin (MED) rose 22.2% at day 56 on the extract, significantly more than placebo (p<0.001). In the UV test after about two weeks of use, skin redness in the following days was about 16% lower than on placebo. Skin moisture, elasticity and radiance improved, water loss and dark-spot pigmentation fell, and the deepest wrinkle became 6.9% shallower. Body measurements did not differ from placebo. No adverse reactions occurred.
Single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Milan of 100 mg a day for 8 weeks; one author is a Bionap employee (Nobile et al. 2022, Nutrients)
60 healthy men and women aged 45 to 60, 30 per group.
Red-cell glutathione rose 28.8% and oxidized glutathione fell after 8 weeks, both changes significantly larger than placebo, so the glutathione ratio rose 89%. Reactive oxygen metabolites fell 17% (p=0.0207 versus placebo) and serum TNF-alpha fell 2.5%. The authors describe the wellbeing questionnaire results as preliminary. No adverse reactions occurred.
Study in healthy volunteers of a red orange extract from Moro, Tarocco and Sanguinello oranges at 100 mg a day; the abstract does not name the brand, give the number of participants or describe a control group (Puglia et al. 2014, J Cosmet Dermatol)
Healthy volunteers; the number is not given in the abstract.
After 15 days, UV-induced skin redness, measured with a reflectance instrument, was significantly reduced. The authors also reported less pigmentation in age spots during solar-lamp exposure. Without the full text, the size and design of the study cannot be judged.