Preclinical study to evaluate the depigmentant activity of pycnogenol using an ex vivo model of skin culture

Author: Samara Eberlin

Published at: July 08, 2015

23rd World Congress of Dermatology, Vancouver, 8-13 July, 2015.
Ayres E, Costa A, Clerici SP, Eberlin S.

Hyperpigmentation is a common dermatologic condition, often associated with sunlight exposure, and a relatively difficult condition to treat. Pycnogenol, an extract from French maritime pine bark with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, has shown the ability to inhibit tyrosinase activity and melanin biosynthesis in previous studies. This study aimed to evaluate the skin lightening properties of pycnogenol using an ex vivo model of skin culture after ultraviolet A (UVA)/B (UVB), infrared-A (IR-A), and visible light (VL) irradiation. Histological evaluation demonstrated an increase in melanin pigmentation in all irradiated fragments compared to the control fragment. Conversely, the fragments treated with pycnogenol demonstrated a clear decrease in melanin density after irradiation. This study demonstrates a decrease in melanin deposition in cell cultures treated with pycnogenol after UVA, UVB, IR-A, and visible light irradiation, proving its skin lightening properties and suggesting its use in the treatment of cutaneous hyperpigmentation.