Are Peptides From Natural Plant Sources The Anti-Aging Elixir?

Posted on: 24 April 2020

Cosmetic peptides is a booming area of research, spurned on by the high commercial value for elixirs for anti-aging. Stimulating collagen production and smoothing wrinkles are two of the most popular applications. Research with peptides is showing that you can indeed roll back the years with regards to reducing wrinkles, skin sagging and other physical markers of aging. 

However, human safety concerns over deriving peptides from animal proteins and chemical synthesis have slowed their usage. Although the cost to buy research peptides for experimentation and produce synthetic peptides is falling, synthetic peptides may be a less than perfect substitute for naturally derived peptides. Consequently, plant-derived peptides are becoming a popular research area. Improved absorption, metabolism and antioxidant effects are potential benefits. Edible plant sources are an especially promising area of research in topically applied cosmetic peptides. 

Following are some of the cosmetic peptides showing improved effectiveness in plant-derived cosmetic peptides research. 

Hydrolysates - Collagen peptides from plant sources ranging from soybeans to plantains have been actively researched for more than a decade. Powdered products are commercially available. Collagen is broken down through an enzymatic process into smaller chains and dehydrated into a white powder. Benefits of collagen peptides include improved elasticity, hydration and UVB protection. 

GHK-Cu copper peptide - Among the anti-aging properties of the tripeptide glycyl-l-histidyl-l-lysine, is stimulation of collagen and elastin production. A wonder cosmetic peptide, GHK has been proven to improve skin firmness and elasticity, reduce wrinkles and free radical damage, and protect skin from UV radiation. Research into the use of plant and marine sourced peptides to improve the synthesis of collagen, fibres and proteins aims to improve the efficacy of GHK as an anti-aging agent.

AHP  - Acetyl Hexapeptide is administered as a topical treatment and being hailed as a solution to Botox. Botox is an invasive treatment using needles to paralyze facial muscles. AHP-5 inhibits neurotransmitters involved in facial movement . Sold under different names as a wrinkle-reducing formula today, some researchers have questioned whether this plant-derived synthetic product penetrates deeply enough into the skin to be effective. Improved permeability and penetration are some of the areas of focus of current plant-sourced peptides research. 

Research being conducted on plant-derived peptides as a substitute for synthetic peptides with lower secondary effects holds great promise. More biosustainable production methods will enable higher volume production of cosmetic products. Researchers who buy research peptides derived from animal proteins and synthetic methods can look forward to having their lab experiments more accurately replicated in future cosmetic products using naturally occurring plant-derived peptides.

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