Improvement of skin condition on skin moisture and anti-melanogenesis by collagen peptides from milkfish (<i>Chanos chanos</i>) scales

Abstract

Milkfish Chanos chanos is considered as the fourth largest aquaculture product. Collagen peptides from milkfish scales (MSCP) were used to evaluate the characteristics including moisturizing, transepidermal water loss rate (TEWL), anti-skin aging estimation by the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, anti-melanogenesis, and sun protection factor (SPF). MSCP revealed the excellent capacity of moisture absorption and was increased to 20% moisture absorption rate after 4 h at 44% and 65% relative humidities. This result also corresponds to the result of TEWL. On gelatin zymography assay, the inhibition of MMPs treated with MSCP at 1 mg/mL was observed, preventing the gelatin from degradation. Moreover, the effectiveness results of MSCP in inhibiting tyrosinase activity and melanin production were 752.4 and 887.1 µg/mL, respectively, at the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50). However, the SPF of MSCP spread at a dose of 20 mg/cm2 was only 1.09, thereby indicating that MSCP was not suitable as a sunscreen alone. MSCP was recognized as safe according to the cell cycle distribution analysis of flow cytometry. Consequently, MSCP could be modulated as moisturizers, anti-skin aging and skin-whitening agents for applications of cosmeceuticals. Thus, the milkfish scales can be converted into the useful by-products and decrease the environmental pollution.