Table 1.
Clinical trials investigating the effects of ASX on skin parameters (arranged by publication years).
| Author, Year | Study Design | Study Population | Intervention | Control | Conditions of the Test Room (°C R.T.) (% R.H.) |
Seasons during Study Periods and UV Applications | Study Duration (Weeks) |
Outcome | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Years |
Country | Health Condition | Participants Completed (n), Gender (W/M) |
ASX Dosage (mg/d) |
ASX Contents | Form (T/O) | Participants Completed (n), Gender (W/M) | Content | Dosage (mg/d) |
Meaurement Instrument | Parameter (Measuring Sites) | Unit | |||||
| Randomised Controlled Study | |||||||||||||||||
| Yamashita, 2002 [28] | Randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study | Mean age of 40 years | Japan | Healthy with dry skin | 8, W | 2 40 |
H. pluvialis + canola oil tocotrienol |
O | 8, W | Canola oil | 2 | 20 65 |
Winter | 4 | Electrical conductance-type SKICON-200 (IBS)). Transmission sebum-meter |
Moisture content (ROC, RC) Sebum content (LC) |
µS N/A |
| Yamashita, 2006 [34] | Randomised, placebo-controlled, single-blind study | Mean age of 47 years | US | Healthy (9 dry skin, 1 oily skin, 9 normal skin, and 30 combo skin) | 28, W | 4 |
H. pluvialis + canola oil |
O | 21, W | Canola oil | 4 | 20 65 |
Winter | 6 | Dermal Phase Meter 9003 (NOVA meter) Cortex Technology Dermal Lab |
Moisture content (LC) Skin elasticity (LOC) |
µS % |
| Tominaga et al., 2012 (study 2) [29] |
Randomised, placebo-controlled, double blind study | 20–60 | Japan | Healthy | 18, M | 6 | H. pluvialis + canola oil | O | 18, M | Canola oil | 6 | 20 ± 2 45 ± 10 |
Autumn and Winter | 6 | ASA-CT1 ASA-03RXD image analysis ASA-M2 ASA-GP1 SEBU sheet around the nose |
TEWL (LC) Wrinkle depth (LOC) Moisture content (LC) Skin elasticity (LOC) Sebum oil (LC) |
g/h/m2µm µS % N/A |
| Yoon et al., 2014 [9] | Randomised, placebo-controlled, double blind study | 41–60 (Mean 51.0 years) | South Korea | Healthy, skin wrinkles ≥ grade 2 |
22, W | 2 3000 |
H. pluvialis + medium chain triglycerides + safflower oil as soft capsule Enzymatic hydrolysed fish collagen hydrolysate as tablet. |
O & tablets | 22, W | Medium chain triglycerides as capsule Hydrolysed casein as tablet |
1000 3000 |
20–25 45–55 |
UV irradiation with two minimal erythema doses on the biopsies of buttock area (n = 6/group) for oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers assessments | 12 | Cutometer MPA580 Corneometer Tewameter Immunohistochemical staining Quantitative real-time PCR |
Skin elasticity (cheek) Moisture content (cheek) TEWL (cheek)Thymine dimers and 8-OHdG Relative mRNA level of procollagen type I, fibrillin-1, MMP-1, and MMP-12 |
% µS g/h/m2 D D |
| Phetcharat et al., 2015 [32] |
Randomised, double-blinded controlled study | 35–65 (Mean 44.5 years) | Thailand | Healthy, well-defined crow’s-feet wrinkles or possibly other well-defined wrinkles on the face |
16, W & M 17, W & M |
3000 4 |
Rose hip powder (sourced from R. canina L.) containing seeds and shells + galactolipid H. pluvialis + rice bran oil |
O | N/A | N/A | N/A | 25 N/A |
N/A | 8 | Visioscan® VC 98 Corneometer® CM 825 Cutometer® MPA 580 |
Wrinkle depth (outer canthus) Moisture content (forehead) Skin elasticity (RC) |
µm µS % |
| Winther et al., 2015 [35] | Randomised, single blind study | 35–65 | Thailand | Healthy | 17, W & M 17, W & M |
3000 4 |
Rose hip powder (sourced from R. canina L.) containing seeds and shells + galactolipid H. pluvialis |
O | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 8 | Skin Visioscan ® VC 98 | Wrinkle depth (outer canthus) | µm |
| Tominaga et al., 2017 [13] | Randomised, placebo-controlled, double blind study | 35–60 | Japan | Healthy, wrinkle grade on the lower and outer angle eyelids of 2.5 to 5.0 | 41, W (low dose: 22; high dose: 19) |
6 or 12 | H. pluvialis + canola oil | O | 18, W | Canola oil | 6 or 12 | N/A | Summer, Autumn and Winter | 16 | PRIMOSLITE image analysis Skin hygrometer SKICON-200EX ASCT1 Cutometer MPA560 ELISA |
Wrinkle depth (outer canthus) Moisture content (cheek) TEWL (cheek)Skin elasticity (cheek) IL-1α |
µm µS g/h/m2 % pg/µg protein |
| Ito et al., 2018 [33] | Randomised, placebo-controlled, double blind study | 30–56 (Mean 43.5 years) | Japan | Healthy, phototype II or III skin, second, third or fourth points basement MED in six-grade UV-irradiated area | 11, W&M | 4 | H. pluvialis solvent-free capsule extracted by supercritical CO2 extraction technology | O | 11, W&M | A filling agent | 4 | 21 ± 1 50 ± 5 |
Autumn to Winter, 31.8, 36.5, 42.0, 48.3, 55.5 and 63.9 mJ/cm2 of UV-B before and after supplementation on the back skin |
10 | Visual assessment by an expert evaluator Corneometer® VAPOSCAN AS-VT100RS |
MED Moisture content (with 1.15 MED) TEWL (with 1.32 MED) |
mJ/cm2µS g/m2 |
| Open-label, prospective study | |||||||||||||||||
| Seki et al., 2001 (study 1) [30] | Open-label, prospective study | 20–50 (Mean 35 years) |
Japan | Healthy | 11, W | 280 |
H. pluvialis + acetone + tri(capryl/capric acid) glycerol + cream base |
T | N/A | N/A | N/A | 21 55 |
N/A | 3 | Moisture Checker MY707S, Scalla Inc. | Moisture content (LOC) | % |
| Seki et al., 2001 (study 2) [30] | Open-label, prospective study | 30–40 (Mean 33 years) |
Japan | Healthy (40 es normal skin, 30 es dried skin, 30es mixed type) | 3, W | 140 |
H. pluvialis + acetone + tri(capryl/capric acid) glycerol + cream base |
T | N/A | N/A | N/A | 20 65 |
N/A | 2 | Skin Surface Image Analyzer and verted thickness (deepness)/length of wrinkles and size Moisture Checker MY707S, Scalla Inc. |
Wrinkle depth (ROC) Moisture content (LOC, ROC, LC, RC) |
D µS |
| Tominaga et al., 2012 (study 1) [29] |
Open-label, prospective study | 20–55 | Japan | Healthy | 30, W | 6 94.18 |
H. pluvialis + canola oil H. pluvialis |
O | N/A | N/A | N/A | 20 ± 2 45 ± 10 |
Autumn and Winter | 8 | Skin surface photographs and replica images ASA-GP1 ASA-03RXD image analysis ASA-03RXD image analysis ASA-M2 |
Wrinkle depth (LOC) Elasticity (LOC) Mean depth of texture (LC) Total area of the corneocyte (LC) Moisture content (LC) |
µm % µm µm2 µS |
| Additional study | |||||||||||||||||
| Park et al., 2010 [27] | Randomised, placebo-controlled, double blind study | 20.2–22.8 (Mean 21.5 years) | South Korea | Healthy | 28, W | 2 or 8 |
H. pluvialis (supercritical CO2 extract) containing small amounts (<15%) of mixed lutein, β-carotene and canthaxanthin |
O | 14, W | Lutein + β-carotene+ canthaxanthin |
2 or 8 | N/A | N/A | 8 | Commercially available ELISA kits Competitive ELISA kits |
CRP 8-OHdG |
µg/dL ng/mL |
| Chalyk et al., 2017 [31] | Open-label, prospective study | 40–80 (Mean 61.45 years) |
Russia | Healthy, 83.9% participants with clearly manifested ageing-related skin signs | 31, W & M | 4 | H. pluvialis | O | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 | Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay kit Cell^B imaging software Cell^B imaging software |
Plasma MDA concentration Lipid droplet size (RSSC samples) Corneocyte desquamation (RSSC samples) |
µMol/L µm number |