A Histological Study on the Effect of Oral Collagen on Age Related Skin Changes in Female Albino Rats

Abstract Background Skin is the mirror of aging. Therefore, for many people, especially females, a considerable amount of daily expense is occupied by cosmetics and pharmaceuticals attempting to prevent or reverse skin aging. Nowadays; researches are directed at naturally occurring substances such as collagen hydrolysate (CH). Due to its high solubility, low molecular weight, high bioavailability, as well as a wider range of functional and biological properties, CH can be used in drinks and as a jelly-like form, making it ideal as a food supplement being easily digestible, highly absorbed and distributed in the human body. Aim Histological assessment of the possible role of oral collagen peptides on age related skin changes in female albino rats. Materials and Methods Twenty female albino rats were used. they were divided into two groups, Group I which included 5 rats 5-6 months age, and Group II which included 15 rats 18-20 months age, they were further subdivided into 3 subgroups 5 rats each: Subgroup IIA: rats were left without intervention, Subgroup IIB: rats received 0.5 ml distilled water (DW) orally by gastric tube once daily for 4 weeks and Subgroup IIC: rats received collagen peptides orally by gastric tube in the form of powder dissolved in DW at a dose of 2.5 g/kg once daily for 4 weeks. Results H&E-stained sections of Subgroups IIA & IIB revealed an apparent decrease in epidermal thickness and disorganized collagen fibers in the dermis. Masson`s Trichrome & orcin stained sections showed apparent decrease in collagen and elastic fibres density and disorganized arrangement. Transmission electron microscopy showed perinuclear vacuolations in keratinocytes and wide separation between them. On the other hand, the structure of skin in Subgroup IIC showed significant improvement in all parameters. Conclusion The study showed that collagen hydrolysate can help in improvement of age-related skin changes.