Antioxidant in grapes is effective for the treatment of acne

Dermatologists at the University of California have found that resveratrol, the antioxidant derived from grapes, works effectively to suppress growth of bacteria that causes acne.

Scientists also found that combining resveratrol with benzoyl peroxide may enhance the ability of the drug to kill the bacteria and may be useful in the new methods. The antioxidant stops the formation of free radicals, which cause cell death and tissue damage. Benzoyl peroxide is an oxidant that works by creating free radicals that kill acne bacteria.

Dr. Emma Taylor: "We thought that since actions of the two compounds are opposing, the combination should cancel the other, but this did not happen. This study shows that the combination of oxidant and antioxidant enhances the effect."

The researchers grew colonies of the bacteria that cause acne and then added various concentrations of resveratrol and benzoyl peroxide both separately and together, and watched the crops within 10 days.

They found that benzoyl peroxide was able to initially kill the bacteria at all concentration levels but the effect was short-lived. Resveratrol has strong ability to kill, but it inhibits the growth of bacteria over a longer period of time. Surprisingly, the two compounds together proved the most effective in reducing the amount of bacteria.

Benzoyl peroxide is toxic, making the skin red and irritated, when it is used as a topical treatment in high dose or concentration. Taylor noted that combining the two components allowed for prolonged antibacterial effect on acne bacteria to minimize its toxicity to other skin cells. This discovery may lead to more effective and less irritating topical treatment of acne. "We hope that our findings lead to a new class of treatment for acne that focus on antioxidants such as resveratrol".

Source: nauka24news.ru/