Jaewoo Bae

Background: Centella asiatica has been widely recognized for its dermatological benefits; however, clinical evidence supporting the efficacy of oral supplementation for improving skin aging parameters remains limited. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the effects of oral Centella asiatica extract on skin wrinkles and related skin parameters in middle-aged women. Methods: A total of 112 participants were randomized to receive either Centella asiatica extract (200 mg/day) or placebo for 12 weeks. Skin wrinkle parameters were quantitatively assessed using a three-dimensional skin imaging system (PRIMOS^®). Skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), elasticity, and skin color (brightness and redness) were additionally measured using validated non-invasive instruments. Efficacy analyses were performed in the per-protocol population. Results: After 12 weeks of supplementation, the Centella asiatica extract group demonstrated significant improvements in multiple wrinkle parameters compared with the baseline. Average wrinkle depth decreased by 11.1%, and the mean depth of the largest wrinkle decreased by 14.4%. Maximum wrinkle depth and total wrinkle volume were reduced by 13.3% and 13.7%, respectively, while surface roughness (Ra) decreased by 10.4%. In contrast, the placebo group showed minimal or inconsistent changes. Epidermal hydration at the cheek site significantly increased, while transepidermal water loss decreased, indicating improved skin barrier function. However, the magnitude of changes in epidermal hydration (2.7%), skin elasticity (R2; 0.7%), and skin brightness (L*; 0.7%) were relatively small. Skin elasticity and skin brightness showed statistically significant differences compared with the placebo group (p < 0.05), but these changes should be interpreted as modest improvements. No serious adverse events were reported, and all hematological and biochemical safety markers remained within normal reference ranges during the 12-week intervention period. Conclusions: Oral supplementation with Centella asiatica extract for 12 weeks was associated with improvements in wrinkle-related parameters and TEWL, while changes in skin hydration, elasticity, and brightness were modest and of limited magnitude. These findings suggest a potential role for short-term supplementation; however, further studies are required to confirm long-term efficacy and broader applicability.

Background/Objectives: Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) is a nutrition-responsive biomarker that indicates the antioxidant status of the macula. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of long-term supplementation with a standardized Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. extract (CA-HE50) on MPOD in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Methods: Eighty men and women aged 45–65 years, with baseline MPOD values between 0.2 and 0.4, were randomly assigned to receive either CA-HE50 (300 mg/day, n = 40) or a placebo (n = 40) for 6 months. Efficacy was assessed by measuring MPOD at baseline and on Days 60, 120, and 180. The primary efficacy endpoint was the change in MPOD from baseline to Day 180. Safety was evaluated through monitoring adverse events, vital signs, and clinical laboratory tests. Results: By Day 180, supplementation with CA-HE50 resulted in a statistically significant increase in MPOD compared to the placebo in the right eye, left eye, and the average of both eyes (all p < 0.001). Significant between-group differences were also observed at Day 120, indicating a time-dependent improvement in MPOD. Additionally, the proportion of responders was significantly higher in the CA-HE50 group compared to the placebo group (p < 0.001). CA-HE50 was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events or clinically relevant safety concerns identified during the intervention period. Conclusions: Long-term supplementation with C. asiatica extract significantly improved MPOD, supporting its potential role in enhancing macular nutritional status. These findings suggest that CA-HE50 may serve as a beneficial dietary intervention for maintaining macular health.

Objective: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial assessed the efficacy and safety of steamed ginger extract (GGE03), standardized to high levels of 1-dehydro-6-gingerdione (GD), in reducing body fat and weight among overweight individuals. Methods: Eighty adults aged 18 to 60 years, with a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m², were randomly assigned to receive either GGE03 (n = 40; 480 mg/day) or a placebo (n = 40) for 12 weeks. Efficacy and safety parameters were evaluated at baseline and after the intervention period. Results: After 12 weeks, the GGE03 group showed statistically significant reductions in body fat percentage and body fat mass compared to the placebo group, as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Additionally, significant decreases in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and hip circumference were observed following GGE03 supplementation. Serum triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels were also significantly lower in the GGE03 group compared to the placebo group. No product-related adverse events or clinically significant laboratory abnormalities were noted, indicating that GGE03 was well tolerated. Conclusions: Twelve weeks of GGE03 supplementation were associated with statistically significant improvements in body composition and lipid parameters without safety concerns. These findings support the potential of GD-standardized GGE03 as a well-tolerated functional dietary ingredient for body fat management and metabolic health.

Centella asiatica exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and dermal-regenerative activities, yet the in vivo efficacy of an orally administered, dose-standardized extract against ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced photoaging has not been fully elucidated. This study investigated the protective effects of a chemically standardized C. asiatica extract (sCAE; 70 mg/g asiaticoside) in UVB-irradiated Skh:HR-1 hairless mice. Animals received oral sCAE (40 or 80 mg/kg/day) for eight weeks during repeated UVB exposure. Comprehensive assessments—including skin biophysical measurements, histological analysis, ELISA, and gene expression profiling—were performed to characterize dose-dependent responses. sCAE significantly reduced wrinkle formation, transepidermal water loss, malondialdehyde accumulation, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, while enhancing skin hydration, elasticity, antioxidant enzyme activities, and collagen expression. It also restored hyaluronic acid, ceramide, and their biosynthetic genes, and suppressed matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -9. Notably, the higher dose (80 mg/kg) consistently shifted key parameters toward normal levels, demonstrating a clear dose–response effect. These findings provide the first integrative in vivo evidence that orally administered, asiaticoside-standardized C. asiatica extract mitigates UVB-induced photoaging by concurrently improving barrier lipids, extracellular matrix integrity, inflammation, and oxidative stress, supporting its potential as a nutricosmetic agent for skin health.

Steamed ginger ethanolic extract (GGE03) has been shown to exert anti-obesity effects, yet its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates the metabolic impact of GGE03 on lipid metabolism, adipogenesis, and energy regulation in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity model. C57BL/6N mice were fed a control diet, a high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD supplemented with GGE03 (50, 100, or 200 mg/kg/day) for eight weeks. GGE03 significantly reduced body weight gain (HFD: 18.1 ± 0.3 g vs. HFD+GGE03 200 mg/kg/day: 13.4 ± 0.2 g, p < 0.05) and fat mass percentage (HFD: significantly higher vs. HFD+GGE03 50, 100, 200 mg/kg/day, p < 0.05). Serum glucose levels were decreased from 220.2 ± 8.2 mg/dL (HFD) to 169.6 ± 5.9 mg/dL (HFD+GGE03 200 mg/kg/day, p < 0.05), and triglyceride levels were reduced from 82.9 ± 4.2 mg/dL (HFD) to 57.2 ± 2.9 mg/dL (p < 0.05). Insulin resistance, as measured by HOMA-IR, was improved by up to 54.9% compared to the HFD (p < 0.05). Mechanistically, GGE03 administration increased AMPK phosphorylation (p-AMPK/AMPK ratio significantly elevated by HFD+GGE03 100 and 200 mg/kg/day, p < 0.05) and upregulated fatty acid oxidation gene expression (Cpt-1), while suppressing lipogenesis-related genes (Srebp-1c, Fas, and Acc1). GGE03 improved obesity-related metabolic disturbances in high-fat diet-induced mice, with beneficial effects associated with AMPK signaling and lipid metabolism. These findings suggest the potential of GGE03 as a functional food ingredient for obesity prevention and management.

Stress is a major factor that threatens the body’s homeostasis or well-being. Excessive stress causes psychological anxiety and tension, which disrupts the balance of the autonomic nervous system that maintains the body’s balance, resulting in hormonal imbalance and brain changes. In this study, we investigated the effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) extract on depression, neurobehavior, and hippocampal changes in model mice exposed to stress. Using an excessive restraint stress-induced depression model, we measured the behavioral changes and the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and antioxidant genes in five groups: control, stress, low-dose W. somniferous extract (20 mg/kg/day), high-dose W. somniferous extract (40 mg/kg/day), and L-theanine (50 mg/kg/day, positive control). Stressed mice showed poorer performance in the open field and elevated plus maze tests compared with the control group. The impaired performance was restored following W. somniferous extract administration. In addition, W. somniferous extract restored the decreased expression of BDNF in the hippocampus caused by restraint stress, improved the balance of stress hormones (i.e., cortisol, dopamine, and norepinephrine), and also regulated BDNF, inflammatory genes, and antioxidant genes in brain tissue. Therefore, W. somniferous extract can induce antidepressant and anti-stress effects by maintaining brain BDNF expression and preventing hippocampal tissue alterations caused by restraint stress.

Lee HS, et al. Nutr Res Pract. 2025 Oct;19(5):682-697. https://doi.org/10.4162/nrp.2025.19.5.682

This study examined the anti-osteoarthritic effects of a Curcuma longa Linn ethanol extract (CLE), standardized to 500 mg/g of curcuminoids, in monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis (OA) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The rats were divided into a normal control group (NC), OA control group (OC), OA +10, 20, 30, or 50 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day CLE-administered group (O+CL10, O+CL20, O+CL30, or O+CL50), and OA+150 mg/kg BW/day methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM, positive control)-administered group (O+M). The rats were given oral doses of CLE or MSM for 5 weeks, with an intra-articular injection of MIA into their knee joints on the 15th day to induce OA. Micro-computed tomography, histological examination, and immunofluorescence staining were performed on the knee joint. The inflammatory mediators, cytokines, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) mRNA expression were measured in the knee joint synovial fluid. The OC group showed more severe knee joint swelling and subchondral bone erosion than the NC group, and aggrecan and type II collagen expression in the articular cartilage was reduced. The OC group exhibited lower mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators, cytokines, and MMPs than the NC group. In OA-induced rats, the oral administration of the CLE reduced knee swelling and cartilage degradation and increased aggrecan and type II collagen expression in the articular cartilage. CLE administration reduced the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, 5-lipoxygenase, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, and MMP-13 in the synovia of knee joints. In particular, these levels reached the same as the positive control group, the O+M group. The CLE had potent anti-OA effects in MIA-induced OA rats by suppressing the expression of inflammatory mediators, cytokines, and MMPs, alleviating cartilage degradation. Hence, the CLE is a potential functional food ingredient that can prevent and improve OA.